The Circle
by laura-maeve
Summary: Sequel to The Choosing. With Rex's death, Jacob's family and their people are now graciously housed by ally king, Micah. But after a month, people start to go missing from inside the wall surrounding Micah's territory. Humans, wolves, and witches alike are no longer safe. When Micah's queen is taken, Ren makes the ultimate sacrifice to go undercover to find the missing. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! I'm back! Yes, yes, I know. I need to update Alpha's Daughter. And I'm trying! I promise. I haven't abandoned it. However, I want to introduce the sequel to The Choosing. I'm sure people are wondering how I'm going to cause problems amongst my fans with this one. I can tell you that this story is going to be all out for me. I am not going to hold anything back whether it be gory, sexually explicit, or anything else. I want to test my limits and my abilities and this is the best way to do it. If I lose fans, favorites, or followers...well, to each their own. Hopefully this time, I won't be misleading with my summary. This will not be just a romance.**

 **So buckle up, buttercups. This one is going to be a doozy.**

 **Please Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **The Circle**_

 **A Month after the End of The Choosing.**

 **RenesmeePOV**

In the crisp morning air, Renesmee Black took a deep breath and let it out in a cloud that streamed from between her lips. She was dressed in a black jogging suit but had shucked the jacket in favor of her tank.

She was out early for training. Weeks ago, in the battle with Rex and his pack, Ren had lost a friend, Tiana. Tiana had been a witch; her element had been fire. As she'd lain dying in Ren's arms, she'd transferred her power to Ren. Now, Ren was what was known as an inherited witch. At first, she'd just wanted to ignore her new power. Tiana's instructions had been to let it guide her and for weeks, there had been no urge to use it. But now, when her emotions became high, she tended to burn things with just a touch.

"Concentrate," her witch tutor, Vella, instructed now. "There is more to the power than fire. Every witch has the basic abilities, and so will you."

Gritting her teeth, Ren held her hand out and concentrated on trying to levitate the rock from the ground. She'd mastered the stick easily. But it seemed the heavier object was more of a challenge. She could feel the fire burn in her veins as a glow started up under her skin. The effort made her shake until her joints hurt.

Releasing the tension, she dropped her hands and shook her head.

Vella sighed, wrapping her green cloak around her. "Perhaps that should be enough for today. Maybe practice on some household items. Until our next session, I'll try to find another fire witch. They're so very rare, though. I'm sorry I can't be more help, your highness."

Ren smiled tiredly at her as she reached for her jacket. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Vella. Your specialty is the forest, not fire. Each element probably reacts with the basic abilities differently. To be honest, I'm surprised we've actually gotten this far."

Vella inclined her head, her dark green hair falling over her shoulder. Her skin was a lovely light brown and her eyes were the color of bright moss. "Your graciousness is appreciated. Nevertheless, I will still gather the other witches to search for a fire elemental."

"Thank you, Vella."

She bowed again, and this time when she came up, there was a beautiful purple flower in her hand. It was a species Ren had never seen before.

"For the princess," Vella said.

Ren smiled. "She'll love it. Thank you."

She took the flower and the witch disappeared into the trees.

Ren took a deep breath and started down the path out of the clearing that would lead to where Cris was waiting for her. This park was huge and wonderful for teaching. She and Jacob had run through it a thousand times, but not recently. He and Micah, the king who had offered them and their pack shelter, were making plans to set up Ren and Jacob's new territory.

Cris bowed to her as she came out of the trees. "Ren."

She smiled at him and put her arm through his when he offered it. "Hey, Cris," she said, patting his hand.

"So how'd it go?"

"Ugh," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "Terrible. I can get the stick to float. But the rock? Heaven forbid."

He grinned. "You'll get it. It takes years of practice to perfect the basics."

"Yeah but I have the fire part down."

"Of course you do. When a witch is born with an element or affinity, they tend to master that much faster because it's unique to only them. Tiana's power has adapted to you. Think of the element as the advanced intelligence while the basic abilities are less evolved. The fire has personality; the basics are the mechanical frame. You have the personality but are still building the frame."

Thinking on it, Ren bit her lip and nodded. "That makes sense, I suppose."

Cris patted her hand. "You'll get it. I have every faith in you."

Ren butted her head against his shoulder. "Thanks. Do you know if Jacob is going to meet up with Micah?"

Cris's expression went blank as he looked down at her and cleared his throat. "Adair called about a half hour ago. Several enforcer leaders from the different districts in the territory are attending the meeting as well. Micah intends to start construction on the wall very soon."

Ren sighed as they walked through the park.

"Ren, if I may ask?"

Ren smiled. "Cris, I thought we were over this asking permission thing? You're like a brother to me. If there's something you want to say, by all means, say it. But to answer your question, I just feel like he needs to spend more time at home. Even though Grace's growth has slowed down, he still needs to be home with her. I understand he doesn't want to seem like we're taking advantage of Micah's hospitality, and I don't want to seem needy, but he's running himself ragged."

Cris held her arm tighter and looked out at the woods. "Ren, Jacob loves you and Grace. But because of you, he now loves the pack much more than he did before. Not only is he taking his immediate family into account, but what's left of our pack as well."

And that made her feel bad for even feeling jilted at not having her husband around all the time. But she missed him. Grace didn't, though. Jacob often took her with him. She was a daddy's girl through and through and loved following him around. She was also popular among all the wolves, and Ren had a sneaking feeling that many who attended the meetings went home with baby fever. Some days, however, Grace wanted to stay home with her momma, which made Ren glow happily. Today, her daughter had gone with Jacob. They were trying not to rely too heavily on friends and family to take care of her.

Ren took a deep breath and tried to let it go. "So enough about me. How are you and Charlotte?"

With that, he closed up, taking his own deep breath. "We're…fine," he said lamely.

"That didn't sound very enthusiastic, Cris. Do you want to talk about it?"

Now he looked down at her considering. "Actually, I would."

Ren looked up at him. "I'm all ears."

He took a moment to collect his thoughts. "She…she wants to go to the next step. I don't blame her; I just don't know if I can."

She frowned. "Mating or marriage?"

Huffing a laugh, he shook his head. "No, not yet."

"Then what step?"

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and said, "The physical one."

Ren's eyebrows shot up. "Oh. She wants...sex."

He nodded.

"And you're not ready?" She flushed. "I'm sorry. I guess I assumed…we all did."

Clearing his throat, he shook his head. "No. The wolf inside me wants to claim her. But the man in me, the person, remembers Hannah."

Speeding up, Ren hurried to stand in front of him and took his hands. "Cris, you will always remember Hannah. That won't ever change. But you aren't honoring her memory by holding yourself back. She'd want you to have the family you've always wanted. She isn't here anymore, and I think she's in a better place now. Here, you have Charlotte, a woman who understands your pain. Have you talked to her about this?"

He shook his head, his thumbs tracing her knuckles. "No. I don't want to burden her with another woman."

Sympathizing, Ren squeezed his fingers. "I understand where you're coming from, but Charlotte already knows about Hannah. She'll understand better if you explain to her what the problem is."

Clenching his jaw, he looked off into the trees. The leaves were lush and green from the summer rains they'd had. Birds chirped happily in the morning sunshine and the cool breeze sweeping through the branches. It really was a beautiful park. Lovely for reading or playing with kids.

"But how do I _fix_ the problem?" he asked, his tone thick with frustration. "I hate the battle in my head."

"Well, do you want to be with Charlotte sexually?"

He frowned. "I do and I don't."

"You won't be betraying Hannah or her memory, Cris. Look, I think you and Jacob are similar. He held himself back because of what Gemma did to him. He wouldn't let himself heal until I forced him. Maybe the lack of a sexual relationship and Charlotte pushing for one will help you heal even more. I know what kind of woman Charlotte is. For now, she'll be understanding. But the longer you put off being physical, the more she'll think about eventually giving you an ultimatum. At least, that's what I would do. If it were me and Jacob, I would take it as Jacob not trusting me or really wanting to be with me. I don't want to be nosy, and you don't have to answer, but can I ask you something super personal?"

Looking around, his enforcer's eyes made sure they were alone before nodding.

Ren swallowed. "Do you two sleep in the same bed?"

Again he nodded, looking down at her.

Ren sighed. "No offense, but that's even more of a strain. You sleep in the same bed and yet you haven't given her any hint that you want to ravish her in that bed."

He frowned. "But I do want her."

"Does she really know that?" she asked. "Does she know the conflict you're having? Or have you just been holding everything back and only touching her to hold her? When a woman wants a man, she wants what only _that man_ can give her. I'm not trying to talk you into sex. I'm just trying to give you an idea of what she might be thinking. See, she knows about Hannah, so she's probably concluded that that's what your hesitation is about. What's worrying Charlotte is that you won't talk to her about it. Because _that_ is what a relationship is about. It's putting your cards on the table and trusting your partner won't hold some of the crappy cards against you. It took some pretty awful events to convince Jacob that I understood his life hadn't been sunshine and rainbows and that I was committed to him. Of course, any woman in her right mind would have left him and let the pack deal with his transgressions according to their laws, but I'm not in my right mind. I always saw and still do see the best in Jacob. And look how far he's come." Ren squeezed his hands. "Let Charlotte help you, because I believe she can. Just talk to her. Please. You're the brother I never had and I want what's best for you. You deserve it."

Taking pity on her, Cris wrapped his arms around her. "I can only promise to try. It's difficult to talk about Hannah with anyone other than you. But I will try."

Ren hugged him around the waist. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I know, but you're right. I don't want to be at odds with my wolf and talking to her is the first step to coming to terms with it."

Smiling, she pulled back to look up at him. "You're much easier to sway than Jacob is."

At that, his lips broke out into a smile and he laughed. "I can imagine I am. He's a stubborn king. I'm just a hard-headed enforcer."

Ren rolled her eyes but tucked herself under his arm as they started walking. "You're so much more than that, Cris. Like I said, you're the brother I never had. I'm glad you're in our lives. I don't know what I'd do without you."

He snorted. "Oh I don't know. Maybe…follow orders given to you by the king?"

It was Ren's turn to snort. "Don't get your hopes up, sweetheart." She gave him a look. He was referring to the night Rex's pack had invaded and Ren had tricked Cris into bringing Grace here to Micah's territory while she stayed behind even though Jacob had ordered her to take Grace herself. But Ren wouldn't leave Jacob. It was as simple as that. And after he'd gone over the cliff, she hadn't cared whether she'd lived or died because she knew her baby had been in good hands with Cris and Charlotte. She shivered at the memory of Rex kicking Jacob off the cliff, but said, "Jacob can order me all day long, but unless I agree with it, he's gonna get disobeyed. And now he knows that."

Cris chuckled again and kissed her head in a brotherly way. "And that's why you're queen. You can get away with it."

"Damn straight."

Falling into more talk about magick and stubborn kings, they walked like that all the way to the entrance of the park. There, Cris broke away from her, his attention sharpening. He'd told her that the larger territory and city made him cautious. And the fact that it wasn't Jacob's territory made him even more wary, so he liked to have his hands free and body ready to attack if need be. Ren didn't mind because she understood that this was who and what he was.

"Hey! Ren?"

Both Cris and Ren turned at the voice.

She was surprised to find Sadie and Lucy waving at her from a ways down the sidewalk at the crossing of the four-way stop.

Grinning, Ren turned and Cris followed. They met the other women halfway. Ren was always happy to see her friends. Now that they'd moved away from their territory, Lucy was doing much better. Probably because she wasn't seeing familiar things that reminded her of her lost mate. Vitoria was napping against her shoulder, thumb in her mouth. Sadie was holding her son's hand as he walked beside her, his head swiveling at every new thing he saw.

"Hey, guys," Ren said as they met up. "What are you doing out and about?"

"Shopping," Lucy said, hefting Vitoria up into her arms. "These two are growing like weeds. There's a cute little kids' boutique up the street. But did you know that Micah asked these shops to put all of Jacob's pack's purchases on his tab? _His tab_. He has a tab, Ren. Seriously."

She looked closer at them but didn't see any bags. "Did you find anything?"

"Tons," Sadie said. "They actually have a service to take it to our house for us." She grinned. "Bryce is going to have heart failure when he sees what we found. The shop owner actually didn't put any of it on Micah's tab. She gave it to us for free."

"Oh wow. That was generous."

Lucy nodded. "She wouldn't hear of any sort of payment. She said we deserved to be taken care of after all we've been through."

Another voice joined them. "She's not wrong."

The group turned. Anya was walking toward them with a smile. Her brown hair was in braided pigtails on either side of her face and the sun emphasized her golden skin and darker freckles. She was in a pair of jeans and blue plaid button down.

Her guard, Rhys, wasn't far behind.

"Anya," Sadie said in surprise. "You're up early."

"I was walking through the park. I love it in the mornings during the summer. Micah usually runs with me in wolf form but he's busy with Jacob."

Ren shook her head. "We really need to talk to them about that."

Anya nodded. "I agree. Those men get so focused, I swear."

"Kings," Cris corrected. "And only their queens can talk them out of their stubbornness."

Silently, Rhys nodded in agreement.

Ren looked at Anya. "We'll talk to them later."

"Agreed. So, what are we doing? Are we settling well?"

Lucy launched into her explanation again. "We were just about to get an early lunch. Would you guys like to come with?"

Ren looked down at herself. "I'm filthy from training."

Sadie waved that away. "Oh, please. You look fine. Come with us."

Any came up and threaded her arm through Ren's. "Our men are busy. Let's enjoy the morning. If you haven't picked a place to eat yet, I know who has the best coffee and food."

Lucy swept her arm out. "Lead the way, your majesty. I'm all for good coffee."

Anya's smile was radiant and it was easier to see that she was just one of the girls. All four of them were around the same age: in their twenties. As a group with Anya and Ren leading the way, the other queen guided them through the streets and business buildings pointing out interesting things and spewing facts like a tour guide would. Eventually, they stopped at a small hole-in-the-wall diner that reminded Ren of the one that had been on the reservation back home. She was sad to remember that that place was no longer their home.

"So," Anya said as they all scooched into a booth, "how is Odette coping? I know Rex was her son."

Out of all of them, Ren would be the one who would know the answer to that. Unfolding her napkin and putting it in her lap, she said, "She's…moving on. Or trying to. Her hands are full with Dorian; he's keeping her pretty busy."

"Are they together yet?" Lucy asked, taking a sip out of the water glass that had just been set in front of her.

At that, Ren sighed and then tanked the server for her own glass. "I wish they would, but she's so stubborn. She's scared to love him because everyone she's ever loved has died."

Sadie and Lucy exchanged a glance.

Ren watched them, taking a sip of water. "What?" she asked.

Clearing her throat, Sadie moved Zack around. And then she looked back up. "She loves you," she said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on," Lucy said not unkindly. "That female was never personable until you came around. Jacob isn't the only stubborn one you won over, Ren."

Shifting in her seat, she didn't know what to say to that. "Well, I just hope she lets him get close. I like Dorian. He's good for her; he cares."

Lucy snorted. "I'll say. I still can't believe he fixed himself on the off chance that they might get back together."

Sadie shook her head. "No, he did it so that they _could_ be together. Don't you remember when he was human?" she asked Lucy. "I heard the story, but Bryce and I came to the pack too late to witness it."

Chewing her croissant, Lucy nodded. She swallowed and drank some water before answering. "Oh, yeah I remember. They were hot and heavy. He was always sporting bruises and love bites. He didn't seem to mind in the least."

Beside Ren, Anya leaned her elbows on the table and leaned forward with a frown. "Then why did he want to be infected?"

Lucy shrugged. "I didn't know him well enough. But my guess is that he wanted to be more durable for her. But after the infection took hold, Odette didn't want anything do with him. _That_ is because she didn't want to risk getting pregnant again. Next thing I remember, I saw him packing up and leaving for the wall. He was trained as an enforcer." Then she looked at Ren. "Have they said anything?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Jacob just said he'd been confused when Dorian had come to him asking for a transfer to the wall after going through the change. He said he didn't really ask questions. Besides, it's not our place to gossip," she said giving them all a look. "If they get together, we'll know about it."

Anya cleared her throat and sat back. "She's right. We're being nosy." Lifting a hand, she beckoned their waiter. "Now, the French toast here is amazing."

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 **So this was just a re-introductory chapter to catch up with Ren and the ladies. Next chapter will start getting things interesting. I'm already anticipating the "not this again" from a lot of you with the next chapter. But nevertheless, I adore my fans and pay attention to what you guys say. I will always answer any questions that you guys have! Love y'all! xoxoxoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, to be honest, I expect some outraged reviews or some loves. This is definitely not an "it was okay" chapter. But I look forward to whatever you have to say. Your reviews and thoughts just spur me on to continue writing. I can't wait!**

 **Please Enjoy!**

* * *

 **JacobPOV**

It was after noon and Jacob was sitting at the large table in Micah's meeting room with maps and plans spread over it. Grace was in Jacob's lap, eating soft chicken and mashed potatoes for lunch. She licked his fingers every time he took his hand away to get more of the food. All morning, she'd been passed around to the others at the meeting. His daughter hated being still for too long. She wanted to visit, and though she still wasn't talking, she'd grumpily insist on someone else holding her for a while.

"Now that construction on the wall has started," Micah was saying, "we can begin shipping in the materials for the neighborhoods and such. The bunkers are also being built into the mountains, and any necessary buildings like hospitals and schools are being planned out. Jacob, how do you want it set up? Or have you thought about that?"

Jacob looked up from watching Grace suck potatoes off his thumb. "Well, while I like your set up, my wolves and I aren't quite as diverse as yours. I want us to remain close. I'd like for Ness and I to stay at the center, like we were back home. I'm not sure about an actual city. We're a small town kind of group." He looked up to Adair. "What do you think?"

Adair furrowed his eyebrows as he thought. "I agree. I think our people would assimilate better if we had a similar set up as we did back home. And as the pack grows, we'll expand if need be."

Micah nodded. "Understandable. Do you want the pack to stay on a compound and the humans dispersed as well?"

Jacob looked to Adair, Dorian, and Odette. The three had volunteered to be in this meeting with him. The three of them looked back at him with cool, respectful stares, trusting him to do what was right by them. "No," he finally said, clearly surprising his wolves judging by their widened eyes. "I won't sequester my wolves, not again. My people will live wherever they want. However, I do want the tunnel system again. All tunnels lead to the bunker in the mountain." What he didn't say was that there were going to be more tunnels built that also lead to outside the territory, outside the wall, just in case. Exactly the way he'd had it before. When they were alone, he'd explain to Micah his entire thoughts. He didn't mind Micah knowing, but the less people who would know about those tunnels, the better.

Micah studied the map with Jack, his second in command, and nodded. "I think that could be arranged. In fact, I think I want that done on my lands as well. It was a good idea and saved your people."

There was a sudden knock on one of the double doors. Before Micah could answer, a nervous-looking man walked in. He bowed to Micah. "My king." Then he looked to Jacob. "Your highness."

"Mitchell," Micah said with a stern glare, "we're in the middle of something."

Mitchell wrung his hands together. "I'm sorry to interrupt, my lord, but your queen," he looked to Jacob, " _both_ queens are outside demanding an audience with their mates."

Sighing, Micah shook his head. "Tell them that we're nearly done. There are just a few things on our list."

The man went positively pale as the blood drained from his face and terror widened his eyes. "My lord, I'm afraid they're rather insistent."

"Is something wrong?" Jacob demanded. "Are they okay?"

Mitchell looked to him and swallowed hard. The man was in his forties or fifties, rail thin, and had scraggly gray and white hair. "They're not injured as far as I could see. But-,"

At that moment, both doors swung open. In the empty entryway stood Ness and Anya. They both had identical expressions. Pursed lips, raised eyebrows, and both crossed their arms over their stomachs. Behind them stood Cris and Rhys, their guards. Both men stood back, letting the females do their thing. Jacob doubted Cris had even tried to talk Ness out of interrupting.

"That's it," Anya said. "Meeting's over."

Micah stepped forward. "Anya, love, we still have-,"

He stopped talking when she shot him a glare.

"I said," she said slowly, "that the meeting is over."

Ness just nodded in agreement.

Anya looked around the room. "Everyone is dismissed. Ren and I would like a word with our men, please."

Jacob gave his wife a questioning look, but she just narrowed her eyes at him. Uh-oh. He knew that look all too well and knew that he was in trouble.

Micah stared at Anya for a moment before saying, "You heard your queen. Get out." His voice was rough as he stared at his mate.

Jacob bit back a grin. Micah was all hot and bothered for his female now that she was ordering him to do something.

Ness nodded to the three of their wolves in the room and they left without argument. Adair closed the doors behind him, shooting a grin to Jacob behind Nessie's back.

Once the doors were closed, he looked back at Ness. "Everything okay?"

Her green eyes looked from Micah to him. "You two have spent too much time on this stuff lately. You need a break."

"Ness, I'm trying to get our people taken care of."

She looked back at him. "I understand that. And so does our pack. But trying to get us out of here as soon as possible is disrespectful to Micah and Anya's generosity. Our people need to rest. We haven't been here that long. We should slow down and enjoy the peace with our new friends because make no mistake, peace never lasts forever. Not to mention, I don't want our daughter to only spend time with her father inside this room."

"Ren's right," Anya said. "And I want my mate back. We understand that the planning has to be done, but not every single day for the whole day. Unless, of course, you were lying about how long Jacob, Ren, and their people could stay here with us."

Micah looked at her with horror. "No, of course not." He turned to Jacob. "You and yours are welcome here however long you need."

Jacob nodded. "I know you were sincere."

In his arms, Grace reached out for her mother. Grinning warmly, Ness came to take her from him. Once on her hip, Ness picked up the bib and started cleaning their daughter's face.

Then, surprisingly, Ness sat down in his lap and rested her head against his shoulder. "We both know you want to hurry to claim that land and get everything prepared. We're just worried that you're overworking yourselves. We love you boys. Please, just slow it down a little. Even kings need to take personal days. It would be different if we were in immediate danger, but we're not." Lifting her face, she pressed a warm kiss to his neck.

Jacob fought off a shiver and looked up to meet Micah's gaze.

Micah sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Ah, love. You're right. Both of you."

Smiling softly, Anya went to her male, took his hands, and wrapped them around her waist. "I just know how you get. You have an idea and then work your ass off until it's completed. And that's where I come in to slow your roll."

Micah smiled and leaned in to kiss her. "And that's why I love you."

As if the two had forgotten Jacob and Ness were in the room, they shared a passionate, deep kiss. His hands roamed her body, pulling her tighter against his. Anya's hands speared in Micah's hair, pulling him closer.

Ness shifted in Jacob's lap and he looked down at her. She was watching the couple with green eyes that had darkened. Her heart rate sped up and he could scent a faint wisp of lust coming from her.

He squeezed her hip and she looked up at him, blinking as if coming out of a trance. Shaking her head, she went to playing with Grace. She was playing it off but Jacob flashed back to their conversation from when Ness was still pregnant. Back then, Ness hadn't really known her sexual preferences, but now, he noticed more and more how she watched Micah and Anya have their moments. The two didn't seem to mind having them in front of Ness and Jacob. And Ness had no issues watching. It made him reconsider what he'd told her about not being able to share. Ness loved him. She was his wife and mate. She wasn't the kind of woman to go through things like that if she wasn't committed to the relationship or feelings. She was his in all the ways that mattered. So maybe it wouldn't be a big deal to share her or for him to be shared.

He looked back to couple. He couldn't deny that Anya was a beautiful female. Unlike Ness, there was a quieter subtle strength about her. It made him wonder how quiet she really was. But then he was conflicted. He loved Ness more than anything. Could he really lay with another female, no matter who it was? Last time, Shadow had reared up wanting to rip him a new one just for thinking about it. But now that the danger was over and Jacob knew beyond any doubt that Ness was his through and through, even Shadow wondered at the possibilities.

Jacob was immediately tuned in to the fact that there was a pressure at his hips. He looked down to see Ness's thigh pressed against his growing erection. Her eyes had darkened even more as she looked up at him.

He was just leaning in to kiss her when Micah and Anya pulled apart, breathing hard. He pulled back and they both watched the couple catch their breath.

Anya smoothed her hair down. "Wow. Sorry about that," she said, flushing. "Got a little carried away."

Micah hugged her from behind but looked at Jacob and Ness over her shoulder. "Something tells me they wouldn't have minded me taking you on the table, Anya."

Anya's eyes widened as she looked from him to them. "What?"

Ness cleared her throat and looked at Grace, who was struggling not to fall asleep. "We should really get Grace home for her nap," she said in a low voice.

Jacob kept his eyes on Anya, studying her. Her hair was in braids on either side of her face, the ends brushing her ribs. Her chest was rising with her still deep breaths and a delicate flush colored her skin. Micah's hands were all over her, under her shirt and smoothing over her flat stomach. She was soft, not toned. Micah's eyes were on Jacob as he ran his lips over Anya's neck.

"Micah," Anya scolded, squirming in his arms. She put her hands over his to keep them from doing something indecent.

He kissed the spot behind her ear. "Sorry, my love. Why don't you and Ren take the princess home? Jacob and I need to speak privately. Just for a moment."

Anya looked between the two men and then to Ness, who was standing up with a sleepy Grace. Micah's gaze went to Ness, his eyes taking in the curves of her body. Surprisingly, Jacob didn't get territorial. Instead, he was proud.

 _Yeah,_ he thought. _That's my mate and she's gorgeous._

Ness leaned down to kiss the corner of his lips. "Don't take too long, alright?"

Nodding, he kissed her back. "Promise. Just some guy talk."

Taking his word, she turned for the door. Looking confused, Anya followed, but before she closed the doors behind them, she shot a questioning look to Micah.

He smiled. "We'll talk later."

Pressing her lips together, she frowned and closed the doors.

Jacob and Micah stared at each other until they heard the front door close downstairs.

"Sorry about that," Jacob said. "Spying on a moment like that."

Micah shrugged and went to a side table against the wall. He pulled out two crystal cut glasses and a bottle of scotch. Holding the bottle up, he silently asked.

Jacob nodded.

"No worries. It's a compliment, actually. And a telling sign that both you and Ren are dominants."

Jacob frowned, taking the glass from him. "What do you mean?"

He took a swallow and said, "You know that a lot of alpha couples share. Sometimes it's the stipulation for allies to remain allies."

Jacob quirked an eyebrow. "Is that what you're saying you want?" He took his own swallow. It burned all the way down even though it was smooth.

Micha chuckled. "God, no. Our alliance is fine without all that. But I did notice Ren's…interest…in our little moment. And others times."

"Are you interested?"

"In your wife?" Micah looked toward the door. "Can I be candid without you trying to murder me?"

Jacob laughed. "Of course."

The other king put down his glass and crossed his arms. "We both love our women. I would never take another as a mate, not officially. Anya is and always will be my queen. But now, I think we've all grown comfortable enough with each other that I can say that your wife is gorgeous and I wouldn't mind her in my bed every now and then."

Jacob chewed over all of that, waiting for the "oh hell no's" to start up in his head. But they never came. He took another sip. "You know she's bi-curious, don't you?"

Micah's eyebrows shot into his hairline. "Is she now?"

Jacob nodded. "And what about Anya?"

"Anya is…deceptively demure. In public, she's a lady. But behind closed doors," he eyes darkened, "she can be quite demanding."

"Does _she_ have interest in my wife?"

Micah uncrossed his arms and one hand sat on his glass, his finger tracing the rim. "I'm not sure about her taste in women, if she has one. But I do know that she has interest in _you_."

Jacob brought his glass to his lips. "Does she?"

Micah nodded. "She does. She remembers you from years ago. She was very young, but she remembers." He licked his lips. "She's curious to find out how dominant you can be. It's obvious that you're a large male, Jacob. And now that the Quileute wolves have come to light as well as the size change that comes with the triggered genes, it's not surprising that many women are curious. But Anya's too…timid…to say anything."

Jacob lifted his glass in a salute. "She is beautiful, though."

A smirk lifted the corner of Micah's lips. "Are you interested?"

"Possibly. Ness and I had this conversation when she was pregnant, but at the time, my other self and I had decided that we couldn't lay with another female."

"And now?"

Jacob shrugged. "Things are different. I'm confident in our love."

"So you wouldn't mind sharing her with another king?"

"Only if she agreed to it. Ness is very dominant. She makes her own decisions. What about you with Anya?"

Taking a deep breath, Micah brought his brows up and crossed his arms again. With one hand, he scratched his jaw. "I'm okay with it, but only because I trust you. I see how much you love your family. She and I have talked about it. With such a large pack, there are times I get busy and our sex life suffers. Her only problem is, she's too shy to do the approaching. She's one of those females who is shy at first, but once you get to know her," he shook his head, "she'll give you what for."

Another thought occurred to Jacob. "Well, since we're talking about this in a serious way, what about pregnancies? I know Ness is fertile. Obviously."

Micah chuckled. "Of course. Holly's family has been attending to the royal family for a very long time. Holly is our attending practitioner and there are spells that would temporarily halt fertility for a night."

Jacob nodded, impressed. "So how do you think they'll take us talking about this?"

He shrugged. "It's not like we're planning a foursome. Just setting up where we stand on the subject just in case. And of course we'll have to talk about it with them, but I'm sure they're probably on the same subject."

Jacob threw back the rest of his scotch and stood up. He went over to Micah and held out his hand. "Just so you know, Ness likes to watch. So if you're ever with Anya and you just want a little spice, I'm sure she'd be happy to add it."

Micah gripped his forearm and nodded. "Good to know. Should we talk about our preferences?"

Jacob's bros shot up. "If you want to."

Letting go of Jacob's hand, Micah shrugged. "I was born a wolf. We're not really a homophobic bunch. I don't mind taking comfort from another male. I don't mind another male in my bed, as long as I trust him. And not exactly for sex."

Jacob wasn't homophobic either but he'd never been put in this sort of situation. He could barely recall the violations against his own body that happened so long ago. Now that he had Ness to turn to when or if memories surfaced, he didn't really dwell on them.

"But have you been with a man?"

Micah gave him a serious stare as he nodded. "After my previous mate's death, yes. I experimented heavily with a lot of things."

"Previous mate?"

Taking on a serious expression, Micah nodded. "I had a mate when I was younger. My father arranged it when he was king, but it wasn't a love match. She'd been promised to me before she was born and I was a pup."

"What happened?" Jacob asked.

He put his hands in his pockets. "We ended up pregnant at a young age." Jacob must have made a surprised face because Micah's lips quirked a little. "We may not have been in love, but we grew up friends and were close. We were happy with the pregnancy, though. We were being groomed for the thrones, learning our responsibilities. And then, there wasn't a baby anymore. Her body rejected the pregnancy."

Jacob closed his eyes as Micah's old pain flowed through the room. He couldn't imagine losing a child that way, and was grateful that he still had Grace. "I'm sorry."

Micah nodded in acknowledgement, but he wasn't finished. "I tried to tell her that it was okay, that we'd get through it and try again. She wanted to give my family an heir, and when the baby was gone, she blamed herself. She ran off in the middle of the night. I tried looking for her for a couple years, and then I received word from a northern pack that she'd died of illness in their care. And then Anya came back into the picture. She had been friends with my previous mate and I felt the need to let her know that she was gone. When I held my own choosing nearly two years ago after my mother's death, I was pretty sure I already knew it would be Anya. We'd stayed in touch throughout the years and had become close."

"And you had the formal ceremony," Jacob said.

Micah nodded. "I didn't expect to love her." And then his demeanor changed back into the light one Jacob was used to. "But the point is that yes, I have experimented. And yes, I like men."

Jacob chose to move on, following Micah's lead. "So are you saying you're attracted to me?"

Micah let out a deep laugh at Jacob's suspicion. "Just enough to be okay with you in the room or in the bed. But not sexually, no. Besides, even if I were, I wouldn't approach you. I remember your story from the first time you were here. Adair explained, privately, to me and my father what had happened. I would never put someone who had been abused into that kind of position."

He didn't really feel like approaching that topic, so he just clapped the other male on the shoulder and nodded. "You're a good man, Micah."

Micah nodded. "As are you. Now, what do you say we go find our women before they get into trouble or we get into more trouble with them?"

Jacob laughed. "Sounds like the best idea I've heard all day."

 **RPOV**

Ren closed the door quietly behind her as she went into the hallway. Grace was out cold in the crib and probably would be for a while. She'd been up early with Jacob.

Anya was waiting for her in the hall. "Asleep?"

Ren nodded. "Like a bear in hibernation. Or like Jacob."

She smiled. "She's adorable." And then she frowned as they started walking back for the stairs. "May I ask you a question?"

Since they'd gotten to the house, Ren had been expected Anya to ask about what had happened in Micah's meeting room earlier. She took a deep breath as they descended the staircase. "Sure. Go for it."

And Anya didn't hesitate. She was already comfortable with Ren. Her formality had dropped away over the course of the month they'd been here. "Are you attracted to women?"

Yup, that's about what was expected. "Are you asking if I like you as more than just a friend?"

The other woman blew out a heavy breath. "I don't want to seem like a bitch. It's just I know that Micah and I sometimes get carried away in front of you and Jacob and sometimes I notice that you watch us. I was wondering if you were watching him or me or both."

Ren thought about that as they went into the huge, beautiful kitchen. It was done in black marble with white veins and polished dark wood. Digging through the kitchen, she pulled out some leftover spaghetti from the other night. For some reason, their early lunch hadn't lasted long on her stomach. She heated up all of it. It would feed all four of them because she could guess that the boys would be hungry.

Crossing her arms, she leaned back against the counter and felt Anya watching her from her seat at the bar. "I've never actually been with a woman in that way. It's just…something about watching people gets me going."

Anya frowned. "Like porn?"

Ren's eyes went wide. "No. God, no. Porn does nothing for me. I think it's the connection, the love. The freaking passion. It's erotic as hell for me. Porn is just fucking. No, I like the connection. The love you and Micah have reminds me of me and Jacob."

"So you want to sleep with Micah?"

Ren floundered, struggling with how to answer. The hard part was that she didn't really know the answer. If she looked at it objectively and Jacob was okay with sharing her, would she want to sleep with him? Micah was a very attractive man. And he genuinely cared. He wasn't a douche about things. The power didn't go to his head, and she supposed that all of that made her attracted to him.

On the other hand, did she want to answer truthfully and risk losing a new friendship?

But Anya piped up with, "You can answer honestly, Ren. Micah and I are okay with sharing. There just isn't a male he trusts enough to be with me. Well, not one that I would want to be with anyway."

That was both surprising and not at the same time. "I love Jacob. And we've discussed these things before. Back then, he said no. I don't know what he'd say now, but Micah is a very attractive man. If all parties wouldn't object, I wouldn't mind experimenting."

Anya looked at Ren through her bangs that were hanging down in front of her eyes. "Would you want to be with me?"

That was a loaded question. And as Ren stared at her, she studied Anya. The woman was beautiful, but also had a little girl-like quality to her. Ren knew there was a dominance in there somewhere, but Anya kept it to herself unless she needed it. However, Ren was intensely drawn to her. Her body was built well with ample breasts and flaring hips. Her shirt was buttoned but not all the way up, giving flashes and teases of cleavage. Though Ren had never been with another girl, she knew she was attracted to the female body. Ironically enough, that realization hadn't set in until after she'd started having sex with Jacob.

She swallowed hard. "Before I answer that, let me ask if you feel the same about women."

Anya watched her from under her lashes and nodded. "I grew up in a bisexual community. Micah will never know, but his parents were into the sharing thing, too. And his mother didn't have a preference. I've always thought women were beautiful. My mother says that even though my father had been human, I should have somehow been a wolf. I like you, Ren. You and Jacob both."

For some reason, Ren could see the vulnerability in this woman and wanted to protect it. Taking a chance and the privacy, she walked across the kitchen and leaned over the other counter so she could brush Anya's hair back.

"Yes, I'd want to be with you. I'd want to watch Micah with you. Or Jacob. You're kind and beautiful; and I like that very much."

Anya leaned into the touch just before a throat cleared in the doorway.

Ren dropped her hand and looked over to see Jacob and Micah there in the doorway, watching them.

Anya and Ren both smiled.

"Hey," Ren said. "How'd the guy talk go?"

The men walked into the room, Jacob coming for her. Micha for Anya.

"Not as cozy as what was going on in here," Micah said with a smirk as he kissed his mate's temple.

Ren leaned into Jacob's chest and smiled back. "We weren't cozy, per se. Just having our own talk about earlier."

Micah's eyes sparked as he looked at Ren.

She looked up at Jacob, who didn't seem to mind. Huh. Ren wondered where their conversation had wandered.

Jacob looked down at her. "Something smells good," he said in a low voice.

Ren went up on her toes to kiss the underside of his chin. "It's the leftover spaghetti. I'm hungry and I figured we could all eat together. There's enough."

He lowered his face to hers for a kiss. At her waist, his fingers dug into her flesh, pulling her against him. Ren gripped his shirt as he deepened the kiss. She would have smiled if he hadn't had total control of her mouth. This was a show for a show.

His hands moved down to grip her ass before pulling back.

Breathlessly, Ren grinned up at him and then looked at Anya and Micah. Micah's eyes had turned amber and Anya's were a darker blue.

"Is Grace asleep?" Jacob asked in her ear.

She nodded. "She probably will be for a while."

"Good," he said on a growl. "We can all talk."

A shiver ran down her spine. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Anya react the same way. They shared a look.

Anya's smirk was a little dark. "Sounds good to me."

 **JPOV**

After the four of them inhaled their food, they all met up into a cozy sitting room that had comfortable couches and plush carpets. The lights were on a dimmer and right now, they were low. Jacob slid the door slightly closed. It was open just enough for him to hear Grace upstairs if she woke up.

He turned back to find Micah and Anya on one couch and Ness on the other across from it. He went to sit beside her, leaning back, his arm across the back. Ness leaned in against his chest.

"So," she said, "I think you guys know how Anya and I feel about earlier and the implications. What is it you two talked about?"

Micah leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Sharing you. And Anya. Among other things."

Ness swallowed hard as she stared at Micah, but then she looked up to Jacob. Reaching up, she traced his lips with her finger. "And how do you feel about it?"

"I think I can handle it." He kissed her finger.

"What changed?"

"Back when we first talked about it, we were just professing love and you were pregnant. Now, we know for sure that we're solid together."

"And Anya and I," Micah said, "know that we're okay with it. It's something we've talked about."

Ness looked back up to Jacob. "And you'd be okay with…being with Anya?"

Jacob looked across the space at the woman in question. She was sitting on the couch, her legs curled up under her, and she was staring back at him.

Deciding to make the first move, Jacob softly untangled himself from Ness and stood up. Walking around the table between the couches, he stopped in front of Anya and held his hand out to her. After a moment, she took it and he helped her stand up. He kissed her knuckles.

"Micah says he trusts me. Do you?"

Her throat worked as she swallowed and nodded. "Yes, I do."

Jacob brushed her hair from her face. Heart pounding in his chest, expecting an objection from either in the room or his head, he bent toward her slowly, giving time. But nobody did. It was a very soft, tentative kiss, barely a brush of lips. He didn't feel the same heat that he did from Ness, but then, he didn't love Anya. But there was something there. As kisses went, it was good even though it could barely be called a kiss.

Anya's hands were light on his arms as he pulled back.

His thumb stroked her cheek. But he looked to Ness. "I think I could come to terms with it." He turned to Micah, who was watching Ness. His eyes were bleeding to amber.

Anya stroked his arms as Ness stood up and moved around to sit next to Micah. He pushed her hair off her shoulder and cupped her neck. Jacob watched as Ness cupped his jaw and brought him close. Both Jacob and Anya watched as the two of them kissed. This one was a real kiss, hard and exploring. But Micah's hands stayed in neutral territory. This moment was a test just to see if they all could handle being with each other.

He looked back down when Anya's hands fisted the sleeves of his t-shirt. She was staring up at him with dark blue eyes. Jacob put one hand on her waist and the other to the back of her head. Pulling them together, he initiated a deeper kiss and sensed her answering lust. She tasted like rain and lightning.

And there was no sense of betrayal.

Sometimes, even though you loved someone, there was a need to taste something different. But only if it was consensual with all parties to avoid accusations of cheating. Eventually, that other taste could help you appreciate better the one you loved, appreciate coming home to them. As Micah had said earlier, it was common for alpha couples to swing, but it wasn't just for allies. It was an agreement and acknowledgement of attraction and a healthy way to exercise that attraction without stepping on any toes. It also helped to tone down the aggression of a couple if they could let their frustrations out with another dominant lover.

All four of them pulled back at the same time breathing hard. Anya was a little unsteady so Jacob helped her stay standing. Ness's eyes were closed and she licked her lips. Micah was staring from her to Anya, his eyes still amber.

"Well," Jacob said. "I think we have our answers."

Opening her eyes, Ness looked up. "Not all of them."

Standing up, she moved toward them, her eyes on Anya. She turned the woman from Jacob's arms, and they stared at each other for a long moment. Anya's bangs had fallen into her eyes again and Jacob's wife reached up to brush them back. She cupped Anya's face. The two were about the same height so there was no leaning up and down, but in.

Anya pulled Ness in by her shoulders and the two met in the middle. It was a soft kiss, no open mouth or tongue.

Jacob was astounded by how much harder his body got and how fast. Both he and Micah let out low growls of appreciation.

After a moment, Ness pulled back. "Now we have our answers."

Unfortunately, their talk came to an end when there was a knock on the door and Rhys came in without hesitation. Like a proper guard, though, he gave no emotion or expression of seeing his queen entangled with another woman. Instead, he bowed to Micah.

"My apologies for the interruption, my king, but you are needed back at the house."

Micah glared at him. "Why?"

Rhys remained unaffected by his king's aggression. "Emergency call from an outer district."

Getting to his feet, Micah cursed. As Rhys promptly exited the room and slid the door closed once more, Micah held his hand out to Anya. "Come, love. I'm sure our friends would like to discuss our situation further."

Anya nodded but pulled Ness into another kiss. Then she smiled up at Jacob and kissed his cheek before taking Micah's hand. Micah nodded to both Jacob and Ness, then followed Rhys out the door. Jacob took his female's hand and they walked out behind the other couple to escort them out of their temporary home. At the door, Micah turned to give Ness one last kiss as well.

He looked up to Jacob. "We'll finish this later."

Jacob nodded, pulling Ness against his body. They watched as Micah and Anya crossed the large yard and made their way across the courtyard. When they made it back to their porch, Ness swung their front door closed.

She took a deep breath and turned to him. "Well that was-,"

Jacob was already on her, stealing her words with his mouth. She immediately melted into him, her hands running up his arms.

"Grace still out?" she murmured when he let her get a breath.

He growled against her lips and reached down for her ass in answer. She hopped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Her covered core rubbed against his hard cock, causing friction with his jeans. Gripping her tight, he started up the stairs. Instead of taking her to their room, where Grace was napping next door, he took her to one of the guest rooms further down the hall.

Kicking the door closed behind him, he turned and slammed her back against the wall, crushing her with his body. Since she'd inherited Tiana's powers, they'd found out that she was much more durable, less fragile or easy to bruise. He could be rougher with her. He pressed his pelvis to hers and left her lips to nip her jaw and neck. Ness's hands smoothed over his shoulders, nails digging in. He sucked the skin of her neck hard.

And he felt a sharp sting on his skin.

Pulling back, he looked at his shoulders. His black shirt had ten burning holes in it.

Ness gasped and hastily took her hands away. "Sorry."

Leveraging her between his body and the wall, he ran his hands up her arms until he was holding her wrists. He brought her warm, glowing hands to his lips before returning them firmly to his shoulders. "It's alright. I like it, baby. You won't hurt me. I can take it."

Biting her lip, she took her hands away from him to unzip her jacket, revealing her skimpy tank. "Then get us naked. Now."

He put her down long enough to do as he was told.

When their clothes were successfully ripped off and piled in the floor, he picked her back up and pushed her against the wall once more. She was already wet enough that he slid inside easily. And there was no slow. He didn't give her time to adjust to him and just started pounding into her. Her nails broke his skin, bleeding him, and her thighs squeezed his waist. He braced his hands on the wall and unhinged his hips.

She yelled out, her nails biting deeper. Jacob leaned in and bit her full bottom lip. A sexy little gasp fell from her lips followed by whimpers. Her wetness coated his hips and thighs as he pounded it out of her, and she was slick against him. He reached between them, coating his fingers in the honey from her body. Then he slid his fingers back to coat another part of her body.

Unfortunately, it had been Rex's attentions that had introduced Ness to anal sex, but after she and Jacob had started having sex again after their wedding, she'd wanted to try. Turned out, they both liked it.

"You want it?" he demanded.

Her tongue came out to lick his lips as she nodded.

Pulling out, he positioned himself further back and worked in slowly. Her back arched off the wall.

Jacob dropped his head to the hollow of her throat and groaned. God, the tightness was intense as she squeezed down on him. "Relax, baby. Please." He put his hands on her hips and massaged them and her waist.

Ness took a deep breath and he felt her relax. He slid in further.

Her nails ripped into his back and slid all the way down. Oh, yeah. With her no longer being fully human, the marks would stay on his skin for a couple days. He enjoyed every one of them every damn time.

"Faster," she hissed. "Just give it to me, Jacob."

His chest rumbled with a purr. He slid one hand down her back and tilted her hips forward to give him more access.

Groaning, Ness slid a hand down her body to rub her fingers against herself. "Yes," she whined.

Jacob growled against her neck. Ness reached for one of his hands and placed it against her, replacing her own hand. Jacob took the hint and worked her body, sliding his fingers inside her as well as his thumb against her clit.

"Fuck!" she yelled out as his fingers went deep. "So fucking tight."

"I fill you up. Everywhere."

Swallowing hard, she nodded. "So good. Almost, Jacob. Harder. Please."

Only having done this a few times, Jacob knew better than to get too rough yet. But he did pick up his pace just enough to help her climb higher.

As noises of pleasure crawled out of her throat, Jacob kissed every inch of skin he could reach and moved down to her breasts, lavishing them with his tongue and teeth. God, he loved this woman. Everything about her was his. Every inch of her body was offered up to him whenever he needed her, and his for her. But so help him if he didn't love seeing her passion from a distance with Micah and Anya. He loved that fire in his wife. If she wasn't his and was the other woman with the other king, Jacob would have been jealous. He'd have wanted her for himself. But she _was_ his. Ness was his queen and he would do anything for her.

As he thought about those stolen kisses, Jacob gave a particularly hard thrust. Ness cried out and exploded, her body tightening hard. Stars exploded behind his eyes as the tightest part of her body tightened even more around him. He was desperate for release, but he wanted to fill her core, not her ass.

Once her orgasm drifted off, Jacob was able to withdraw and then thrust up into her core again. It was slick and warm and he hammered out a hard rhythm. Her body was drained from her release, jerking and convulsing from the added stimuli. It didn't take long for his own orgasm to tighten his balls and slam out of his cock inside her. He let out a shout against her chest, muffling the sound with her skin. Her hands burned him in the most erotic way, spurring him on.

When he was finally done spending, he managed to stumble backward on shaky legs to collapse against the bed on his back. Ness fell on his chest in a breathless heap. His body had fallen out of hers and rested limply and wetly against his hip.

He was breathing hard. "No offense, but I think we should kiss them more often."

Ness's chuckle was tired but then built up until she was jerking with laughter on his chest. "Oh, don't make me laugh. My body already hurts." She smoothed her hand up his chest. "But I agree. Man, that was amazing."

Jacob ran his hands down her back and gripped her ass. "Did you like kissing him?"

He looked down as she looked up. "You know, I think I know why some alpha couples share."

"And why is that?"

"Micah isn't you, but yes, I liked kissing him. Because he reminds me of you. He's a fierce, dominant king, but he's not cruel about it. Not to mention, it helps that he's a looker."

Jacob chuckled, massaging her flesh. "And Anya?"

She shrugged a little, her muscles quivering from the exertion. "My first kiss with a woman. Totally different than kissing a man. She was soft and pliable. I liked it. It was different. How were you with her?"

He hesitated, thinking through his answer. "She's very…passionate…once the ice is broken. A part of me really wants to tap that dominance in her."

Ness looked up at him, folding her lips, trying to hide a smile.

Jacob snorted. "Pun not intended."

Ness let out a little laugh. "No, but funny nonetheless." Her finger traced designs on his skin. "How's Shadow with this whole thing?"

"He likes Anya. Not near as much as you, but he likes her."

"And me? He won't go nuts if I happen to fall into bed with Micah?"

Jacob went internal to face off with his other half. He mentally showed Shadow an image of Ness with Micah. Shadow was strangely content with imagining them in bed together. And then the image shifted to him taking Ness, claiming her after every time she was with Micah. He actually thrilled at the idea. It was a game and thrill of reclaiming her, that same thrill of falling in love and being reckless and passionate.

Leaning down, Jacob kissed her forehead. "He's actually okay with it. He likes the idea of reclaiming you after you're with Micah."

She snuggled closer. "Mmm, I like the sound of that, actually."

"And that is another reason why alpha couples share."

Ness laughed. "I can't believe we're actually doing this." She sobered up. "You know what people will think, right? My parents, your family."

"Does it really matter what they think? We know the truth of our relationships with Micah and Anya. There's nothing wrong as long as we all consent to this. I'm not cheating on you because you're probably going to sleep with Micah just as I'll probably end up in bed with Anya. But we don't love them. We'll probably grow close, like those best friend couples who decide to swing. We'll care about them. But I love you; I'm _your_ husband. You're it for me, Ness. We're just mixing things up because we now know a couple who understands what we go through. It's refreshing. Not," he said hurriedly, "that we're in any way lacking in this department."

He could feel the smile against his chest. "I know what you mean, baby."

Jacob's ears pricked. He softly patted her hip. "Grace is about to wake up. Why don't you clean up? I'll get her."

"You sure?"

He nodded. "I won't be leaking in a few minutes. Take a hot shower. I kind of abused you just a few minutes ago." He leaned down to her ear. "And I kind of filled you up," he said darkly.

Ness shivered. "Yes, you did."

At that moment, Grace's grumbling started up from the room playing as her nursery.

Jerkily, Ness slid off of him. She wobbled to the doorway.

"Careful," he ordered in a low voice.

Smiling at him over her shoulder, she purposefully gripped the doorjamb to assure him she would be careful. When he heard their bedroom door close, he groaned and sat up on the edge of the bed and reached for his jeans. After tucking away his sensitivity, he went to wash his hands before going to get his daughter.

Grace was standing up in the crib, her lip trembling, eyes shimmering. She looked up at him pitifully.

He turned on the light and walked over to her, poking out his bottom lip. "Poor baby girl. Naps are awesome but waking up from them suck. I know, princess." He picked her up and held her against his chest. She kept pouting and rubbed her eye. Reaching up, he wiped the tears from her cheeks, then he kissed her. "Daddy loves you, though. Daddy's got you, baby."

After changing her diaper, he put her into some fresh clothes.

He picked her up and kissed her again. "Why don't we get you some food now that you're all fresh and clean?"

Ness came down to the kitchen while Jacob was feeding Grace a banana. She leaned in the doorway and smiled, watching them.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Mmm, I was fine before. I'm just cleaner now."

When Grace heard her voice, she turned and grinned up at her mother, reaching for her. Ness came to sit down at the table beside him and took Grace. They took turns feeding their daughter. It still amazed Jacob that they could be parents and yet still have some crazy amazing sex. And their sex life was about to get even more explosive when one or the other actually fell into bed with their friends. But Jacob felt that they could balance everything. They had people who would watch Grace if they needed it. And they already had plans to prevent pregnancy from the sharing. Jacob had actually been thinking about holding off from trying for another baby until they were settled in their new home. And it would give them more time with Grace. She was only about four months old, and nearly one of those, neither Jacob nor Ness had witnessed because of Rex. They both felt jilted about that.

Jacob leaned over to kiss his wife's cheek. "I don't tell you enough how amazing you are."

She smiled over at him. "You don't have to."

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. I should still say it more often. I hope this arrangement works out. I think it'll be good for us."

"Me, too. But what about when we move?"

"Actually, I was thinking about that. If we place our home just right, we could be only an hour away. Micah's inner circle is actually close to the territory border."

"Really?"

He nodded but hissed when Grace bit down on his finger. He frowned down at her. "I'm not the bad guy, here, kid. You're not supposed to bit me."

She grinned up at him with a high-pitched giggle.

Ness laughed. "She has teeth now. She's gotta test them. Who better than on the only man in her life who could and will take it?"

Pride and love filled his chest as he looked down at his daughter.

For the first time in a while, he looked forward to the future. He couldn't wait for Grace to grow up, to deal with the teenage attitude and the boys she'd bring home that he would never approve of. He couldn't wait to be the man to comfort her when some idiot broke her heart. He even looked forward to their first father/daughter dance.

He ran his hand over her soft hair. "I'll take whatever she needs me to take for the rest of my life." He lifted his eyes to Ness. "Both of you. I'll take anything for both of you."

* * *

 **Alright, give it to me. Now, this story won't be all about sex. I am definitely keeping with plot, but there will be a good amount of lemons in this one! And I'm quite excited about it! Let know how you feel! Love y'all! xoxoxoxo**


	3. Chapter 3

**I really have been away too long! Wow it's weird to be writing on this story since I quit. So many of you had issues with it, but a lot of you have been reviewing and messaging asking when I'm going to update. I realize where I'm taking this is not everyone's cup of tea. I get it. As an author, though, I can't be a people-pleaser. I need to write this as I see it, so I say on with the show!**

 **This IS a sexy chapter involving both couples so please be aware of that.**

 **Please Enjoy!**

* * *

 **MicahPOV**

As he made his way back to the bedroom he shared with his Anya, Micah sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

Four missing. _Four._ And he was just now finding out about it. And only because the worried mother of the most recently missing had decided to call him directly.

"Micah?" Anya's worried voice greeted him as he walked in and closed the door behind him.

When he didn't answer, she closed the book she was reading and laid it on the bedside table. She was beautiful in a dark grey silk nightdress and her dark hair down around her shoulders.

He sat down heavily on his side of the bed and began to take off his boots.

"Micah," she said again. The sheets rustled as she moved across the bed until she had an elbow planted in his pillow and was trying to look up into his face. "What's happened, love? You look stricken."

Looking over at her, he tried to imagine what the loved ones of the missing were going through. How they must feel trapped by being unable to do anything. If he'd lost Anya in any way, he'd tear this world apart until he found her. He could remember back when he was younger and she was still an innocent little girl who had watched her best friend fall into misery. Delilah had been like an older sister to her but both he and Anya had felt the same pain at having to watch from a distance as Delilah had spiraled.

Reaching out, he cupped the side of her face, his thumb rubbing over her cheekbone.

She leaned into the touch.

Then he went back to taking off his boots. "I'm leaving the day after tomorrow."

"What?" she asked as she sat up. "Why?"

"I'm going to an outer district. Four of our wolves have been taken. Or at least gone missing. I have to go question Oliver on why he hasn't told me and find out what's being done to find them."

Her small hand rubbed up his arm. "Okay. I'll go with you-,"

"No," he said harshly. Shaking his head, he took her hand. "You're going to stay here."

Her blue eyes stared at him incredulously. "Micah, I'm their queen and-,"

Growling, he reached out to take her chin in a tight hold, cutting her off. "I said no. It's not safe out there. You'll stay here. With Jacob and Ren and all the enforcers. Do you understand me?"

Swallowing hard, she nodded as best she could. "Yes," she said softly. "I understand, my king. I meant no offense."

Micah softened his hold and brushed the backs of his fingers up her cheek. "None taken, my love. I just need you safe, and here is the safest place. I trust Jacob to look after you while I'm gone."

Anya looked down, avoiding his gaze. "How long will you be gone?" she asked in a submissive tone.

Letting go of her face, he looked down the line of her body under the sheet and then reached out to push it down her thigh. He shook his head as he skimmed his hand up her smooth skin, pushing the hem of the nightdress higher and higher. "I don't know. For now, I'll say a few days, possibly a week."

Her breath came out on a shaky sigh. "Will you call me?"

Micah's fingers played over the silky skin of her hip. "Of course. It might not be every day, but I'll call. I promise." When she nodded, he reached back to softly squeeze her ass. "Now, onto something better." Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and waded through the scents in the room. He could smell her perfume, the fabric softener she used on their clothes, and the cologne he wore only when he went out with Anya. But there was something else on the air. "You've pleasured yourself tonight."

She nodded shyly and rubbed her hand up his arm. "I wasn't sure you'd be back tonight or if you'd be in the mood. I wanted my head clear just in case you needed me."

Leaning over her, Micah wrapped his arm around her waist and maneuvered her onto her back. "I always need you, Anya," he said as he moved lower onto the bed so he was face to face with her hips. He looked up her body through heavy lids. "Are you still wanting?"

Tilting her head on the pillow, she smiled down at him and ran her fingertips over his lips. "Always for you, my king."

"Good," he growled.

There was something about Anya that Micah had always been drawn to, even when Delilah had still been around. As a male in his twenties and Anya in her preteen years, he'd wanted to protect her. And after Delilah's disappearance, he'd kept an eye on her without her knowing about it. He'd watched her grow into a woman and had learned to love her kindness. And then when he'd approached her with the news of Delilah's death, they'd comforted each other in their grief. But he hadn't fallen in love with her until after he'd mated her and she'd become more comfortable and casual with him.

Now, in their mated bed, he slid the nightgown up over her hips to bare her to him. He loved the fact that she refused to sleep in her underwear. It was either a nightgown or skin every night.

Needing comfort and in the manner of a starving man, he set his mouth on her core, tasting her arousal and previous orgasms. Her legs fell open wider as her fingers speared into his hair, pushing his mouth harder against her. Micah rolled his eyes up her body. Her belly undulated with her breaths, chest rising and falling erratically.

She breathed his name as her eyelids fluttered.

While he pleasured her, he couldn't help but think about the possible new arrangements with Jacob and Ren. He wondered if Jacob would eventually be in this same position with Anya, how she would react to another male. Micah pictured himself between Ren's thighs. What kind of lover would she be? She was more dominant than Anya was. But that was probably because Anya knew how submissive he liked her to be. He found that a lot of the kings who had started off as human tended to let their queens get away with more. Which was probably why Micah thrilled at the idea of having a more dominant female in his bed. As a born wolf, it would be a new experience for him.

Anya was just on the verge of orgasm when he pulled back. She was still breathing hard, her hips rotating on the bed as he got up and stripped. After all the bad news he'd gotten today, Micah was not in the mood for gentle. And Anya, having opened her eyes, knew what his expression meant. She was already shakily rolling to her hands and knees to offer herself to him.

When they'd first started sleeping together after the choosing, his dominance in bed had surprised her. She'd only known gentle lovers, but that was because Micah had threatened every male she'd been with that if they hurt her, he'd break them.

Micah crawled back onto the bed and gripped her hips, pulling her back toward him. He angled to enter her and mounted her in one hard, pounding stroke. Gasping, she gripped the sheets.

His queen was a quiet but passionate lover. But he hadn't lied to Jacob; she could be demanding. There were nights when Micah thought they were done before she'd roll over on top of him and take more pleasure. Even though she was human, she could go for a long time. After their mating, he'd taken her so frequently over the following day that she'd slept for three whole days after. But she'd kept up with him the entire time.

Now, tonight, he pounded into her in a slow but steady rhythm. The silk nightgown had slid down her skin to bunch around her shoulders and he could see her breasts jolt to the movements of his thrusting into her. Eventually, she reached her hands back for him to take. She liked to touch him while he mounted her. As soon as he gripped her wrists, her nails dug into his forearms. He loved every bite as he used her arms as handles, using them to bring her body back against his to make a satisfying smacking noise, skin against skin. He quickened his pace so that it was a constant right along with her panting breaths.

Micah knew she was getting close. She never could last long if she'd pleasured herself beforehand.

"Micah," she mewled.

He growled, not liking the fact that she could still talk through her passion. Transferring both her wrists to one hand, he used the other to push the side of her face to the bed, her ass going higher. He hammered his hips into her in small, fast bursts. At this angle, he couldn't pull out as far, but that was okay. Anya loved it when he grinded against her. He'd shove his cock as far into her as it could go and rotate his hips.

She lost her words and whimpered. Every time he did this, she never lasted long. His balls were rubbing her clit. In her demanding way, she pushed back against him and rubbed, her pelvis circling for friction. She was telling him she was done, that she wanted to finish.

So, he gave her what she wanted. Going back to holding her arms with both hands, Micah jackhammered into her, growling the whole time as his body tensed.

Though he was a dominant king, he never mistreated her. Never beat her or raised his hand to her. And he damn sure didn't orgasm before she did. Her pleasure was his. If she didn't come, he didn't either.

Fortunately, she did come this time. Spectacularly, too. Her ass pushed back into his hips as her core gripped his cock tight. She spasmed against him, her nails ripping his skin. She never did scream. He'd secretly spent two years trying to get her to scream or be any form of louder during sex, but it never happened. She was a lady through and through. She moaned, gasped, and whimpered, but never screamed or shouted.

As he orgasmed right along with her, he briefly wondered if Ren was loud. He was betting she was. But this wasn't exactly the best time or place to be thinking about another woman, so he let those thoughts go and concentrated on his queen beneath him.

When they were both spent, he quickly stripped her of the nightgown and arranged her on the bed so that he was spooning her, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

Her hands smoothed over his forearms. "Are you sated, my lord?"

He nuzzled her until his lips met the skin of her throat. "For tonight. And how many times do I have to tell you, Anya? You don't have to be formal with me. You are my queen."

"I just thought you were still-,"

"I am not, nor was I ever, angry with you. My tongue was sharp tonight, and I apologize for that." He held her tighter. "I just need you safe. I can't lose you the way I lost Delilah. It would be worse. I didn't love her the way I love you. Losing you would kill me."

She turned to look at him over her shoulder with her dark blue eyes. "And how many times must I tell you that losing her wasn't your fault? She left us. _Both_ of us."

Micah gave her a small smile before leaning in to gently kiss her lips. "We've already agreed to disagree on that. Let's let it be for now."

By her slight frown, he knew she didn't like it. But instead of saying anything, she kissed him in return before snuggling back against him. "I love you, too, Micah. More than I ever thought possible."

His chest ached as he rolled over enough to click off the lamp. This woman was his everything. She'd given her life to helping others, to helping him. She was a wonderful queen to their wolves, and in return, they adored her. Micah wanted to give her the world, whatever she wanted. But she always kept her individual desires to herself. He never knew what she wanted as just her own. She always selflessly did and bought for the two of them, as a couple. Never just for herself. Every time he wanted to do something for her, he never knew what. She didn't really have any close friends that he knew of that he could ask for advice. The last best friend she'd had had been Delilah. Ever since she'd disappeared and then died, Anya had been closed off from getting close to anybody.

Except Ren.

They both seemed to have hit it off pretty well. It helped that they were within the same age group and both queens. He hoped that a true friendship would bloom between them. He wanted Anya to have a life outside of him.

"Micah?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you okay? You're quiet but I know you aren't asleep yet."

He smiled into her hair. She knew him so well. "I'm fine, love. Just thinking."

"About?"

"You."

She looked over her shoulder at him again, worry in her eyes. Then she rolled over in his arms so that her face was buried in his throat. "I'm sorry."

He frowned. "What for?"

She shrugged. "I don't know exactly. I just feel like I should apologize. Some nights you come home and it feels like you're disappointed in me for not being more submissive to you. I guess that's why I feel like I should be formal. Even after two years, it doesn't feel…real. I know I love you. And you're not the kind of man to admit to feelings you don't have, but I guess I still wonder if you like me."

Appalled, he pulled back so that he could see her face. "Anya," he chastised. "I love _and_ like you. You _never_ have to be formal with me. Ever. We've been through too much together. You're the only female who has been my friend. You're my best friend, Anya. I trust you more than anyone else I've ever known." He tightened his arms. "This is real. What's between us is the realest thing I've ever felt. If you don't want to be submissive to me, then don't. I just go along with it during sex because it's something I thought we both liked." Reaching up, he stroked her cheek. "I know I can come in here like a raging bull, and you know my moods. But you don't have to immediately be like, 'oh, he'd want me to do this.' I'm not one of those males that will hurt his female for not immediately offering herself up. I would never hurt you. If you want to challenge me, then do it. I only want you as submissive as you want to be. I love you, and you _never_ have to apologize to me for something like that. You don't live to please me. You are your own person, and I will never tell you how you should act. Okay? Please tell me you understand that?"

Those deep blue eyes studied him before she buried her face in his throat again. She nodded against him. "I understand."

He didn't like that. He wanted to see her face. Gently, he pulled back again. "Do you? Do you really understand that I don't expect you to do things just because you think I'd want it that way?"

Swallowing, she just looked up at him.

"Anya, baby, I know I'm a dominant male, but that doesn't mean I want your eyes on the floor and for you to only speak when spoken to. If you have an opinion on something, I want to hear it. I want you to give me what for and to argue with me. Maybe not about the topic from earlier. I love that you want to go out there to be with them, to support them. I just need you to understand that I need to make it safe for you first. If anything happens to you, I-,"

She put her fingers to his lips. "I understand. Truly, I do. When you said no the first time, I should have accepted that because I know why you were saying it. I was just being immature and arguing with you when I knew you had a good reason for me to stay behind." Leaning up, she kissed his jaw. "I trust you on important matters, and our missing wolves are more important than my feelings of being left behind. I'm sorry for that."

Giving her a smile, he kissed the tip of her nose. "Forgiven, forgotten, my beautiful female."

She patted his chest. "It's been a long and…eventful…day. We just need some rest."

Micah chuckled. "And what do you think of what happened earlier?"

"Hmm, I think that things will get interesting once the ball gets rolling."

He played his fingers over her lower back. "Well, I will be gone for a week," he said suggestively.

Anya looked up at him in surprise. "But I thought you wanted to be there the first time I laid with another, just in case."

Shrugging, he said, "I trust Jacob. He loves his queen a great deal. If he won't hurt her, I know he won't hurt you. And if he did, Ren would probably skin him alive. She likes you."

"Mmm, and I like her. Maybe I could learn a thing or two."

Micah grinned. "Well, if you want to experiment while I'm gone, I'm okay with that. Just not in this room. It's ours, and I want it to stay that way."

Anya snuggled into him even more. "Of course, my love. I wouldn't dream of it. Do you like her?"

"I do. She reminds me of you, just not as quiet."

He felt her frown. "Am I _too_ quiet?"

Resisting an eye roll, he pulled back yet again. "Anya, sweetie, if you're going to start comparing yourself to her, then our arrangement won't happen. I don't like Ren more than you, and I sure as hell don't love her. Over this past month, I've learned to care for her and for Jacob. Which is the only reason Jacob and I discussed sharing the two of you. None of it has to happen. We just talked about it so that if a situation does come up, we all know where we stand. And that is that we're all okay with sharing with each other."

She studied him for a moment before nodding. "I see where you're coming from. I understand."

He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. "Good. I love you."

"I love you, too."

With a feeling of deep content, Micah wrapped himself tighter around his mate and let sleep suck him under.

 **JacobPOV**

Grace was sitting in Micah's lap as he sat behind his desk, checking over his emails. Her eyes watched the screen as she sucked furiously on the pacifier.

"So what _do_ you know so far?" Jacob asked. He was leaning against the bar along the wall, his drink at his elbow.

Micah shook his head. "Not much. Oliver didn't seem to want to give too much away."

At that moment, Jacob's daughter let out an unhappy squeal and frowned.

Micah nodded in sympathy. "Definitely suspicious," he muttered to her as if she'd said something. "I agree."

Grace had taken to Micah quickly. She loved being around him, and he spoiled her as though she was his own blood. Watching him with her made Jacob wonder why he and Anya didn't have any children yet.

Over the past month, Micah, Anya, Ness, and Jacob had all become extremely close. Jacob was as protective of Anya as he was of Ness. And he saw Micah as a brother, which was weird considering Jacob was okay with the thought of Micah sleeping with Ness. But Micah meant a lot to Jacob. The other king had brought his pack to help fight against Rex. He'd watched over Ness in the fight, and he'd sheltered Cris and Grace. Jacob owed Micah a lot. But the only thing Micah seemed to want as repayment was Jacob's opinions about his own pack and decisions. The four of them had become a ruling group as opposed to just a ruling couple. They supported each other in all the ways that counted.

Sighing, Micah clicked out of everything and closed the laptop. He looked up at Jacob. "I need to ask you a favor."

"Of course," Jacob answered immediately.

Absently, he started bouncing his knee for Grace as he kept talking. "Anya isn't going with me. I don't know how bad it will be out there, and until I do, I want her to stay here where I know it's safe."

Jacob nodded. "Sounds like a plan. What can I do to help?"

"Watch over her. This is the first time we'll be separated since we mated. And she's never slept in this house alone. I may not have always been in the bed with her, but she was never alone. Unless she expresses that she wants it, I don't want her by herself."

Jacob nodded again. "Sure thing. I'm sure Ness won't let that happen."

Micah looked up at him. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. After all you've done for us, watching over your mate will be an honor."

"I've also told her that while I'm gone, I trust you with her." The look in his eyes told Jacob that there was a meaning behind the words.

And Jacob knew exactly what he meant. "I completely understand," he said with a smirk. "If anything does happen, I'll take care of her as if she were my own mate."

Before Micah could answer, there was a knock on the door just before it opened. Anya and Ness came in smiling.

"You're all packed," Anya said.

Micah smiled. "Thank you, love. You didn't have to."

"I know," she shrugged. "I wanted to. Have you learned anything else?"

Micah shook his head.

Anya frowned and chewed her lip just like Ness tended to do. Then she turned her head toward the door. "Rhys?"

A moment later, the enforcer was in the doorway. "Yes, your grace?"

"I want you to put together a team of enforcers to go with Micah."

Micah stood up. "Anya-,"

She looked at him sharply. "No, Micah." Then she looked back to Rhys. "Do it. Only those you trust the most to protect your king at any cost."

Rhys bowed his head. "Yes, your grace." As he turned away, he pulled his phone out.

Jacob shared an amused look with Ness. That was exactly the same thing she'd say to Cris to protect Jacob.

He stepped up next to Anya. "I think it's a good idea," he said to Micah. "We might be kings, but that doesn't mean we're untouchable. In fact, we have the biggest targets on our backs."

"And you forget to look out for yourselves," Ness added. "We queens do what we can when we can."

Micah studied the three of them before looking at Grace. He bounced her a little. "Looks like I lost, princess."

Grace took her pacifier out and hit it against his face.

They all chuckled as Micah wiped his face. "You agree with them, too, huh? Good to know."

Jacob's daughter squealed and laughed before turning to reach out for Ness. As he handed her over, Micah leaned in to kiss Nessie's cheek.

She smiled up at him. "You'll take those enforcers and let them do their jobs. Right?"

He glanced at Anya and Jacob before sighing and looking back at her. "Can't wait to get me in bed, huh?"

Ness snorted and shook her head. "Just come back in one piece, your highness." Then she looked over at Jacob, no doubt to check his reaction.

To show that he was okay and still confident in his female's affection for him, Jacob wrapped his arm around Anya's shoulders. She stiffened with surprise at first before relaxing into his embrace.

She leaned her body against his and smiled shyly up at him. Then she looked to her mate. "As Ren said, just come back in one piece. These two will take care of me."

Micah met Jacob's gaze. The two shared a smirk.

The other king came over. He was standing so close that Jacob could feel the other male's warmth and that low buzz of energy that all kings seemed to give off when they weren't concentrating. But he didn't move away. Jacob wasn't homophobic despite his past. Micah was a good man and knew about the abuse Jacob had gone through. He'd never approach Jacob sexually.

Micah took Anya's face in his hands gently. "I have no doubt that they will."

They shared a gentle kiss before he pulled back to look at Jacob.

He grinned. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna kiss you, too."

"Aww," Ness said softly.

She dropped a wink to both of them when they looked at her.

"Just kidding." She frowned. "Kind of."

Jacob grinned at her before looking back to Micah. "So when are you leaving?"

"I was thinking tomorrow morning, but maybe I should go tonight."

Jacob frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why tonight?"

The male ran a hand through his hair. "The boy is the fourth to go missing in as many nights. Oliver didn't report anything to me so I didn't know. If that pattern keeps going, that means that another wolf is going to go missing tonight, if not already. These are my people, and as far as I know, they've been happy with my leadership. They wouldn't just disappear on their own."

"You think they were taken," Ness said, rocking Grace.

Micah nodded. "I do. And I think Oliver's involved somehow. I put him in charge of that district, but I'm thinking I should have listened to Anya when she told me not to trust him a year ago."

Ness moved up to put a hand on his shoulder. "You couldn't have known. But, obviously, you should do what you have to."

Micah took her hand. "You mean punish him if he is involved."

"Of course. I mean, you're the king and you know how to rule your pack."

Grinning, Micah leaned in to kiss her cheek again. "I'm sure every male likes to hear that a female he cares about is on the same brainwaves."

Ness kissed him back. "I have no problems with violence, Micah. Jacob may have brought me into this world, but it was Rex who introduced me to violent tendencies."

Both Jacob and Micah growled at that. Anya's face thinned in anger.

Ness smiled at all of them. "I didn't enjoy a moment of it, but I did learn indifference. I learned to appreciate justice and the power that comes with punishing those who deserve it."

"My lord?" Rhys called from the doorway.

Micah turned to him. "Yes?"

"The wolves I've chosen are ready for you whenever you should choose to depart."

"Thank you. Rhys, I need to ask you something."

"Anything."

"Do you trust Jacob as a king?"

The leader of the queen's guard moved his gaze to Jacob, scrutinizing him. Jacob wanted to squirm under that look but didn't. He stood tall and met Rhys's stare. Rhys's eyes moved down to where Anya had taken Jacob's hand.

Then he looked at Micah. "You and the queen seem to trust him. And that's enough for me." He bowed. "I remain loyal to you to the end, Micah, and will follow you and Anya anywhere. Jacob and Renesmee have cared for you and our pack. I trust them."

Micah nodded. "Good. Then if you should need a king's ear or advice while I'm away, then you go to Jacob."

Rhys bowed at the neck. "My king." He bowed to Anya. "My queen." Then he nodded to Jacob and Ness. "Your majesties."

Both Jacob and Ness gave him nods in return before he left.

"I like him," Ness said as she swayed and patted Grace's bottom as she rocked her. Grace was fast asleep against her mother's breast. "He and Cris get along well from what I hear."

"And thank goodness for that," Anya answered. "Two head enforcers who don't like each other yet being forced to work together is not a good combination."

Micah shared a fond look with Anya. "Rhys is also more vigilant because Anya means a great deal to him."

It was Jacob's turn to share a glance with Ness. "I smell an interesting story."

Anya waved it away. "Oh not really."

Frowning at her, Micah went to the bar in the room and poured some whiskey. "She's too humble. Rhys has a son who was very ill. The boy's mother died in childbirth, so Rhys is all he has. Anya went to great lengths to help cure him. She's the one who found Vella and brought her here. The witch, and your trainer, is actually very old and knows the old magicks. They saved the boy. Ever since then, Rhys has been more loyal to Anya than me." He shook his head. "And I have no qualms with that. He's still my head of the enforcers and of Anya's guard."

Ness looked at Anya. "You went out on your own to find her?"

The female flushed and looked up through her lashes. "Rhys sent some enforcers with me so he could stay with his son. It was before Micah and I were officially mated. He was courting me, gearing up to ask me. And then Theo got sick. I'd watched over him a few times when Rhys had to work last minute. Even then he was at the top of the enforcers and often I had nothing to do. Theo's such a sweet kid; I couldn't let him die. I had to do something. Nothing modern for these times helped so I figured something old. My search led me to the Northern Forest where I found Vella."

The Northern Forest was what had once been Canada. It was wild territory where humans were used for breeding purposes. At least here in the States territories, humans were treated just a little better. The worst was as slaves, but slaves with choices and laws protecting them. Up there, humans had zero rights.

Anya shrugged. "And that's it. I convinced her to come back with me. She's been here ever since."

Micah pressed his lips together. "Again, too humble. She went through hell."

"It's nothing you wouldn't have gone through."

He lifted his glass. "Exactly. But I'm also a werewolf, love. You're human. Unfortunately, that means a tad more fragile than I."

Anya rolled her eyes but Ness interrupted. "Okay, okay," she said with a laugh. "What matters is that she came back, the boy was saved, and Vella stayed. She said she's going to try to find another fire witch to help train me. I just can't get the basics down. She thinks a fire witch will be able to relate better to what I'm going through."

Micah nodded and sipped from his glass. "She's not wrong. The magicks react differently. But if anyone can find something as rare as a fire witch, it's Vella."

Ness smiled at him and rearranged Grace in her arms. "Would you mind if I put her down in one of the extra rooms?"

"Not at all," Anya said. "Micah and I bought a crib just in case she ever stayed over."

Jacob shared a look with Ness. "You did?" he asked.

Anya smiled up at him. "Yes. She's never used it because she's always being held, but we figured kids might start becoming a thing around here. Might as well start early."

"Good idea," Ness said. "Let me tell ya, it was a lot of work getting the house ready for her arrival."

The two women talked all the way out the door before Ness closed it behind her.

Micah chuckled at the same time Jacob shook his head.

"They're good for each other," Micah said.

Jacob couldn't have agreed more. He nodded and walked over toward Micah to pour himself a drink. "Ness could use a queen friend."

"You know, I hope that Ren rubs off on Anya."

Jacob frowned. "What do you mean?"

Micah swallowed the rest of his drink and turned to pour another. "I love Anya, more than anything. But there are times I wonder. Last night, she was worried that I didn't like her. She wondered if she needed to be more submissive. I don't want her to tread carefully around me. I want her to kick me where it hurts when I need it, like I'm sure Ren does."

Jacob contemplated this. "Did you tell her that?"

Micah nodded. "In no uncertain terms. I'm also hoping being in your bed might help her. I've spent two years trying to get her to scream or shout during sex. She's so quiet. Don't get me wrong," he hurried, "I love the sex. I just think she keeps too much control. She's so worried about what I'll think that she can't let go."

Jacob smirked over the rim of his glass. "I'll see what I can do. No promises though."

Micah sighed.

Laughing, Jacob clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about her. Ness and I will take good care of her while you're gone. More than likely nothing will really happen. She'll be too busy worrying about you, especially since you haven't been separated from each other since your mating. Besides, sex isn't the only way to take care of someone."

The other king nodded. "You're a good man, Jacob. I can't say that enough. It's good to have another king around, one that my people respect."

"But they don't know me," Jacob said with a frown.

"They don't need to. You took down Rex and I trust you enough to stay in my inner circle. That's enough for them. They'll trust you to lead them when I'm not around. And so will I."

When Jacob looked into Micah's eyes, there was an emotion there that hadn't ever been there before when Jacob talked with him. It was a look of affection and relief. Though Micah had been a king for much longer than himself, Jacob felt the need to comfort the other man. Jacob, above all others in this territory, understood the terrible toll that leading could take on someone, on their soul.

He put his other hand on the side of Micah's neck and made eye contact. "Your people are safe with me, Micah. You and Anya are safe with me. That is a vow that I can make to you here and now. It's rare for kings to be more than just allies, but you and I are friends. We understand what each other is going through, and that kind of friendship can make all the difference in the world."

Closing his eyes, Micah let out a deep sighing breath and nodded. "Thank you."

Jacob pulled him into a hug. Micah held on tight for just a moment before doing the manly backslap and pulling away.

"Are you really going to leave tonight?" Jacob asked.

Clearing his throat, Micah moved around his desk to pack up his computer. "I really should. I need to get out there as soon as possible, especially if another of my people is going to go missing tonight."

Jacob went along with the ignoring of the emotions. "Do you have any idea what could be happening?"

He shook his head. "All I know is that Oliver hasn't told me a damn thing, and he's in charge of that district. He's most likely involved. They're disappearing without a trace which probably means a vehicle of some sort. And it's not just shifters. One of the four was human. And who knows, there could be more than four missing."

Scratching his jaw, Jacob thought it all through and still came up with nothing. Why the hell would someone be taking shifters and humans? He knew he'd be in a panic if his people started disappearing.

The most he could do now was to offer his support. "Well, if you need anything from here, just drop a call. I'll do whatever I can."

Instead of thanking him again, Micah just nodded.

"If you care what I think, I'm gonna say you shouldn't leave tonight. Anya isn't prepared for that. She's ready to say goodbye tonight and see you off tomorrow. I wouldn't take that away from her."

Micah took a second to think about that before saying, "She thinks I'm not coming back."

Jacob shrugged. "Can't blame her. You're leaving the safety of your inner circle with only a handful of enforcers to go to a district in which four of your people have already gone missing and the male you left in charge is probably involved. If he's involved, it's not too far of a stretch to think that all the wolves under his leadership might be helping him. That's why I backed the idea for the enforcers. If you didn't need me here, I'd be going with you."

He nodded. "I see your point. You're right. I'll leave tomorrow. I want one more night with my female."

"Good. I know she'll appreciate that."

The females returned not two seconds later with Anya holding Grace.

Both Jacob and Micah frowned.

"Thought you were putting her down?" Micah asked quietly.

"We were," Anya answered. "But we had a better idea. The four of us are going out to dinner."

Jacob blinked. "We are?"

Ness nodded. "Yep. I already called Mom. She said that she'd be happy to watch Grace for us. And maybe keep her tonight."

Jacob turned to Micah and shrugged. "From the sound of it, we don't have a choice."

Micah grinned. "I think I'm okay with that." He looked at the girls. "But if this was a ploy to get me to stay tonight, it wasn't necessary. Jacob already talked me into it."

"Well good for him," Ness said. "That wasn't our intention because we already figured you were going to. We just want us all to go out without the little monster. We haven't had a meal just us. So that's what we're going to do. We're going to dress up and go to a fancy dinner with drinks, good food, and great company."

"I'm down," Jacob said.

"Well," Micah said, "I can't let you have all the fun. I guess I'm game, too."

"Oh, please," Ness said. "Don't act like you weren't for it the moment I said we had a babysitter."

They all chuckled.

"True," Micah said with a grin. "Very true."

 **AnyaPOV**

Anya smoothed the tight dress over her thighs and stared at her reflection. She frowned.

"Anya, love, you look beautiful. As always."

And as always, Micah's voice warmed her blood and brought the butterflies to her stomach, even after two years of being mated.

But instead of letting it get to her, she opened her eyes and frowned again. Turning sideways, she smoothed her hands over her stomach. "Maybe I should start working out. I'm a little soft."

With a low growl, Micah came into the room and turned her back until she was facing the mirror and their reflections. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I know what you're doing. Stop doing it. You're not Ren. I love your body, my female. I love your curves. Like I told you before, quit comparing yourself to her. Keep it up and I'll rescind my invitation to share. I don't like it when you're self-conscious like this. You're perfect the way you are."

His reassurance was good enough for her. Rubbing her hands up his forearms, she reveled in the warmth and low buzz of power that radiated from him. She loved the way it tingled her skin. Unless he was concentrating, power oozed from him. It was the same with Jacob. She'd noticed it when she'd stood next to him, kissed him.

Taking a deep breath, she turned in his arms, putting her hands on his shoulders, fixing his collar. "You're right. I'm sorry, love."

He ran his hand over her hair. "You don't have to apologize. Just know that I love you the way you are. I want you to accept that." He moved his hands to her hips and a wicked smirk curled his lips. "Besides, these hips are good for birthing wolf pups."

Surprised, Anya laughed. "Micah!" She slapped his chest.

Grinning, he leaned in to nibble her neck. "A whole pack of pups."

She couldn't help but smile back. "I think you've been hanging out with Grace too much."

He scoffed. "Oh, come on. We've been mated two years already. Don't you think we should start trying?"

"Have you been waiting on me to say something all this time?" she asked with a frown. "I just thought that, maybe, you were still nervous after what happened with Delilah."

Micah pulled back, his hands going to her shoulders. He took a moment before answering. "It's true. I lost a child and a mate, and for a long time, I refused to even think about trying again. But I have you. I love you, and I want children with you. You are not Delilah. I want us to try. And the pack does, too. They'd love to see us have an heir. So, yes, I've been around Grace a lot. I've come to love that little girl. Who wouldn't? And maybe being around her has given me baby fever, bringing out a paternal feeling in me. It's time to get over this hurdle, love. Delilah has been a ghost between us for too long. I didn't mate you just because you were the best choice. I mated you because you were always there for me, and in time, I fell in love with you. It's time to let Delilah and my unborn child rest, Anya. I don't see her when I look at you. I never loved her the way I love you. I felt responsible for her and for the child. And of course, I would have loved my child. But they're gone from us. It's time to make our mating our own." He reached up to cup her face. "So what do you say? Will you start a family with me?"

Anya was so touched by his words that she had to struggle not to cry and ruin her makeup. She gripped his wrists. "Of course I will. I didn't know that you'd been waiting on me."

"It's not that I was waiting. I just didn't realize until Jacob and his family showed up that I want what he has. I already have my loving mate. Now, I want a house full of kids with her."

"I would love that, Micah. So much."

He smiled. "Good. When you're not in Jacob's bed, we'll try. Holly is working on a specific spell to identify our lovers and kick in as birth control so that we won't have to run to her every time the urge hits. The spell will activate on its own. She says she's almost got the kinks worked out so until then, we'll have to go to her."

Anya nodded. "That sounds good. Now, why don't we go get the other two and head out? I'm starving."

"Well, we can't have that." Leaning around her, he picked up her shawl from the chair beside the mirror to wrap it around her shoulders. Once she was situated, he offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

With a smile, she raised her chin. "We shall. Thank you."

"My pleasure."

With a wink, he led her out of their room to go find their friends.

 **#######**

A couple hours later, they were all sitting in a round booth, laughing loudly at a joke Micah had made. They were all full of excellent food and potent wine. The boys had eventually ordered their whiskey, but they were all satisfied and glowing after a good meal.

"I'll tell you," Micah said through his own chuckles, "my life wasn't all moping and depression. My father could barely keep me still long enough to teach me anything. I always needed to be on the move. The man couldn't stand it."

"And your poor mother," Anya said with a smile. "She was so happy when you chose to mate me."

Grinning, Micah took her hand and kissed her fingers. "Of course. You're the only person who can get me to stop long enough to actually think straight."

Jacob lifted his glass. "I hear ya. I chose Ness and she just came in like she owned the place."

Ren gave her mate an amused, shocked look. "I did not!" she said with a laugh.

"Oh, yes, you did. You took over my house and made the pack fall in love with you. I had no choice but to keep you."

Ren grinned triumphantly. "You're the one who picked me. Quit your bitchin', baby."

Micah lifted his glass toward Jacob. "And she knows how to put you on your ass."

Jacob raised his glass. "Absolutely. As does yours."

As the boys drank, Anya leaned in against Micah, rubbing her nose against the length of his jawbone. "Can we go home soon?" she asked with as much heat as she could.

When he looked at her, she raised an eyebrow.

His eyes slowly turned amber as he studied her face and the down over her body. Then he gripped her jaw in a lightning fast move. "Of course, my love," he whispered over her lips.

The kiss was slow but hard, dominant.

Anya loved feeling his power, his strength, used on her.

When he finally pulled back, she swallowed hard, her eyes fluttering. It took a moment for her to catch her breath again, and when she did, she found Ren and Jacob staring at her with the same heat in their eyes.

She saw Ren swallow hard. "Let's go home," she said in a rough voice.

Sliding elegantly out of the booth, she stood up and held her hand out to Anya. She took the offered hand and let Ren help her up. Then they linked hands, fingers twining.

Ren looked back over her shoulder. "Coming, boys? If not, we'll start without you."

Micah and Jacob shared a look before scrambling out of the booth behind them. Together, Anya and Ren walked to the car hand in hand. Anya had found a rental service for a limo so that they wouldn't all be cramped and could sit comfortably together. Ren held Anya's hand to let her slip inside first. As soon as Ren was in, Anya pulled the other queen down beside her and gripped her face. Ren hesitated at first, surprised, but after a moment, she melted into the kiss, her hand going to Anya's thigh to pull her leg up. Anya took the hint and slid over Ren's thighs, straddling her.

Reaching up, Ren pulled the pin out of Anya's hair, letting it slide over her shoulders and down her back so that Ren could grip it hard. Anya slid her fingers into Ren's curls, pulling them closer together. Ren was toned and hard but also had the soft curves of a woman.

Growls of male appreciation sounded behind them as Micah and Jacob slid into the car.

One of them leaned over to knock on the partition. "Home. Now," Jacob said in a growling voice.

The car started forward immediately, but neither Anya nor Ren reacted. They just stayed liplocked. Every now and then, one of the boys would touch them. The touches wouldn't be anywhere sexual, but the touches themselves were full of heat and wanting.

As they drove, Anya made out with Ren, loving the taste and feel of the other female in her arms. It felt good to let go of the submission she felt she had to have with Micah. But at the same time, Ren was a queen, an alpha female in her own right. And now she was also a witch. Anya didn't feel the need to be overly submissive. She hated that she felt that way with Micah. With Ren, it was a give and take. They took turns in having control of the kiss, and it felt good, right.

Minutes later, the car came to a stop.

Anya felt a big hand ball into her hair and pull her away from Ren. Her eyes couldn't quite focus on Micah. He was growling, teeth bared, eyes amber. "Get in the house. Now." He then yanked her from Ren's embrace.

Jacob caught her into his arms just as she saw Micah lean in toward Ren to give an aggressive kiss. He then helped her out of the car.

As a group, they made their way into the house and toward a random bedroom.

Micah took Ren into the middle of the room while Anya and Jacob stood closer to a wall. Micah's mouth was hard on Ren's, teeth biting her lips. Her hands were gripping his waist, pulling his shirt out of his pants so she could run her hands up his torso.

Micah pulled away just long enough to look over at her and Jacob. "Get her undressed for me?"

Jacob gave a feral grin. "My pleasure."

Anya swallowed hard when Jacob turned to her as Micah went back to kissing Ren. Jacob's hands were gentle, but the look in his eyes was not as they studied her body. Those big hands slid over her hips and waist.

"Kick off your shoes," he ordered.

She immediately did as she was told, kicking the shoes toward the wall. When she looked back up, Jacob gripped the back of her neck and pulled her up until they were a breath away from each other. She realized that he was giving her a choice. He wasn't sure of his welcome. But she didn't want choices. In this moment, she wanted Jacob to do whatever he wanted.

Gripping the back of his neck, she pulled herself up and him down. She kissed him with same fervor she'd had for Ren. It was new and exciting. In the end, she knew it would help her appreciate Micah even more than she already did. But right now, she was happy to have this moment with Jacob.

Jacob's hands smoothed up her back and gripped the neck of her dress. "Do you like this dress?" he asked in a breathy voice.

"It's not my favorite, if that's what you're asking."

"Good," he growled. His fingers wrapped around the hem and pulled, ripping the fabric like it was nothing but air.

Her body barely moved with the action, and she went back to kissing him while he tore at the dress, pulling it off her body. Anya felt it pool at her feet as his hands went back to her waist, fingers rubbing the edge of her panties. When they moved up her back, he growled again when he found she wasn't wearing a bra.

Chuckling, Anya pushed at the wall of Jacob's chest until he moved back. His eyes were flickering between brown and amber. They were beautiful. She watched him as he looked at her. She was surprised when her body reacted hard. Her lower stomach clenched, body loosening. Jacob's nostrils flared as he scented her arousal. His hands smoothed ever the skin of her ribs, thumbs almost brushing her but not quite. She wanted his touch, to feel his hands on her. She gripped each side of his shirt and pulled, buttons flying everywhere. Jacob was not the kind of male to wear more clothing than absolutely necessary. There was no undershirt obstructing her view of that perfectly sculpted torso. As if her hands were hungry for him, she flattened her palms against his abdomen, feeling the hard ridges contract under her hands. Her fingertips traced the edges of his pectorals. When she looked up to find him staring at her, she lunged up to resume kissing him.

Jacob reached down to the backs of her thighs and lifted. Anya jumped to wrap her legs around his waist as he went to go sit in one of the reading chairs against the wall. Though his hands were in a frenzy on her, he seemed to be holding back touching her intimately. She didn't like that.

Pulling her mouth away from his, she breathed, "Touch me."

His eyes met hers and she nodded. Taking his hands, she pressed his palms over her breasts. The warmth of him had her head going back and groan slipping from her throat. A steady growl came from Jacob's throat as his hands explored her. They were rough hands, like Micah's. His lips were soft on her throat, teeth nipping her skin.

Seconds later, another pair of hands, smaller, touched Anya's shoulders. Opening her eyes, she turned her head to see Ren watching Jacob on her body. Anya reached up to pull Ren down for a kiss.

Ren pulled back too soon. "Your king wants you," she said in a husky voice. "Shall we trade?"

Anya nodded as Ren helped her to her feet. Ren was likewise in her underwear but she'd worn a bra under her dress. Ren took Anya's place in Jacob's lap, draping herself over his legs. His hands were immediately on her body as Anya turned to Micah. His amber eyes were on her as he started unbuckling his belt. Anya sauntered over to him, her fingers reaching for his pants. She was the one to unbutton them and slide them down his legs. As usual, he was commando, smooth and thick against his hip. She went to her knees to finish pulling the pants down and off. Micah held the back of her head, amber eyes expectant.

Licking her lips, she gripped his thighs and used only her mouth to pull him away from his body and down her throat.

 **RPOV**

The moment Anya put her mouth on Micah, Ren's body tightened hard where she was lying across Jacob's lap.

Jacob noticed and cupped her core over her panties, rubbing her through the wet fabric.

Ren fought the fluttering of her eyes to keep watching Anya sucking off Micah. She couldn't help but critique the other couple. Anya was good though. Micah didn't seem to be lacking the pleasure. His hands were fisted in her hair, teeth gritted, body rigid as he fought not to thrust into her mouth. Ren wanted to join them but knew they needed this time together before Micah left in the morning.

Jacob pressed his mouth to Ren's throat, effectively grabbing her attention.

"I think you're wearing too much," he said.

"Oh really?"

He nodded.

"Then do something about it."

Grinning, he unhooked her bra and slid the straps down her arms just to throw it onto the floor. Then he went to her panties. "I won't rip these. I like them."

Laughing, she lifted her hips so he could slide them down her legs. Using her foot, she flicked them away.

"There," Jacob said. "Much better."

As far as their position in the chair would let them, he set his mouth and hands on her. She loved it. She loved knowing that these same hands and those lips had been on another woman and yet they still set her on fire.

From the direction of the bed, a feminine moan and a masculine growl drifted over.

Through the haze of lust, Ren looked over. From the angle of the chair, she and Jacob had a perfect view from the side of Micah's body sliding over Anya's. He had her on her back at the foot of the bed. His knees were planted under her thighs, lifting her legs while his hips swung hard against her. The sound of skin on wet skin had Ren's eyes rolling back. Micah was pounding into Anya, her body jolting with each thrust. Her nails were dug into his shoulders, head thrown back. But she wasn't loud. Just small grunts and gasps.

Ren didn't like that she was so quiet. She knew that some women were like that naturally, but Anya wasn't one of them.

Jacob leaned in, his hands still rubbing sensually. "Micah asked me to help her open up. He asked me to help fix that."

Ren nodded. "I'm sure you will. You make me scream," she whispered back.

"You're not one to hold back. You don't care if I want you submissive."

"True."

Anya arched off the bed the same moment Jacob shoved his fingers inside Ren. Ren arched in Jacob's arms. But where Ren let out a shout, Anya didn't. Ren let the irritation fuel her race to orgasm. Jacob was magic with his fingers and she'd get off quickly. Jacob's lips on her nipple helped it along, arching her body again. Reaching down, she pressed her nails into his hand, urging him deeper and faster.

He obliged her and it wasn't long until she was screaming her orgasm, her body tensing.

When she came back down, it took a lot of effort to open her eyes again. Jacob was smiling down at her with that masculine smirk he always had after he brought her to orgasm. It was a smirk she loved because it was carefree and all man, not just werewolf.

Noise by the bed caught Ren's attention, making her look over. Micah was tucking Anya into the bed, and when he turned around, his eyes were on Ren. Naked and shaky, Ren got to her feet. She walked over to Micah and took his hand. Leading him, she sat him down on the edge of the bed. Micah's amber eyes slid over her body, and she felt it like a touch.

"No intercourse," she said softly. "That should be for you and Anya tonight."

Nodding, he reached out to run fingertips over her hip. "Then what is for tonight?"

Pushing his hand away, she spread his legs. Standing between them, she cupped his face and leaned down to kiss him gently. Then she backed up to kneel between his legs, keeping eye contact the whole time.

"This," she said just before reaching out to take his erection in her hands.

Then scooting closer to get into a more comfortable position, she put her mouth on him.

Micah gasped and leaned back on his hands.

Ren smiled around him, but closed her eyes and went to work giving him a parting gift. Micah was long and thick, thicker than Jacob. He was a challenge to fit her mouth around him but she enjoyed the taste. Must have been the bodily juices from both him and Anya. Salty and sweet.

Ren did her thing, bobbing and swallowing him down until she gagged. He seemed to like that the most, when she gagged on him. So she tried to do it as much as possible. She licked, sucked, and nibbled in all the places that Jacob liked, but took note of what Micah liked most for future reference. At one point, Micah held her head down until the gagging made her eyes water.

"Micah," Jacob said in a warning.

But Ren held her hand out to him that she was okay. A moment later, Micah let her up to breathe. Then she went on to finish up.

"Do you swallow?" Micah asked.

Ren lifted up and nodded. Then she looked at Jacob for his permission.

He studied them for a couple moments, weighing his decision. Then he nodded.

Ren grinned up at Micah as he gripped her hair and moved her mouth back over him.

She sucked while he thrusted, harder and faster. His breathing became a pant as he forced her down to gag. They found a rhythm that worked, and soon he was pulsing in her mouth.

"Ready?" he panted.

She patted his thigh to let him know she was ready.

He took his hand from her head to fist both of them into the blankets. As soon as his whole body tensed, she readied for him. He was thick and salty in her mouth, down her throat. It was a struggle and she had to back up a little to be able to breathe right.

But then he was done. Lying back on the bed, he panted as she pulled off of him slowly. She was wet and wanting as she watched Micah's spent erection lay on his belly.

Then there was a hand in her hair, pulling her up off the floor. Jacob was growling as he handled her roughly, bending her over the bed and Micah. Her hands came down on either side of the other king's hips as Jacob stood into position behind her. His entry was rough and exactly what she wanted. Ren gasped loudly as Jacob fucked her from behind, his hands on her hips. Her breasts brushed Micah's torso with each thrust.

Micah came out of his pleasure haze enough to play with her while Jacob was busy.

"Oh God," she moaned. "Please."

Jacob gripped her hair. "You want to come?"

She nodded. "Please, baby."

Jacob thrusted hard and deep. "Hold out."

Ren mewled but did as she was told.

His hand smoothed up her back to grip her shoulder. "Good girl. Almost."

He hammered into her, grinding mostly. Micah's hands on her breasts pushed her higher and closer to what she knew would be a spectacular finish.

"Ready, baby?"

Ren nodded.

Jacob gripped both of her hips and that was her cue. She let her body explode, a scream bursting from her throat to spill out of her mouth. Her elbows gave out and she face-planted onto Micah's chest, her hands gripping the sheets.

Her mate gave one last deep thrust before his release halted his movements. Ren could feel his hot jets inside of her and her body milking him with its spasms.

And then it was over. Panting, Jacob leaned against the bedpost. Ren listened to the pounding of Micah's heart and the rushing of the blood in her own veins as she closed her eyes and relearned how to breathe.

About ten minutes later, they were all in the bed. Ren and Anya were in the middle with their kings spooning them from behind.

Micah grinned over Anya's shoulder. "That was one hell of a parting gift. Thank you."

Ren met Anya's gaze as they both grinned. "I think it was our pleasure," Ren said. "Glad you enjoyed it."

"One hell of a show, too," Anya said, looking from Ren to Jacob. "Is it always like that between the two of you?"

Ren glanced over her shoulder at Jacob, then back to Anya with a sheepish grin. "Yeah. That was actually tame compared to some of our sessions."

Anya's eyes went wide. "Oh, wow. You were so loud, I thought you were hurt."

Ren shook her head. "Nah. I just can't and won't hold it in. The pain gets mixed in with the pleasure. You can't concentrate on it."

"Oh," Anya said, her expression turning into a frown.

Reaching out, Ren took her hand. "It's perfectly okay to be quiet if you're that type of person, Anya. There's nothing wrong with it."

Anya's smile was small and lacked enthusiasm.

"Enough," Jacob said gently. "No need to talk about this now."

"I agree," Micah said. "No heavy talk. Right now, I just want to bask in the afterglow."

"They're right," Ren answered. "We can talk about it later."

Before Anya could reply, Ren leaned in and kissed her. Slow and lingering.

At her back, Jacob was growing hard again and she couldn't help but smile. Looking over Anya's shoulder, she saw Micah's eyes flash the way Jacob's did.

"Oops," she said with a smirk. "Let's get some sleep. Micah has a long day ahead of him." She cuddled back against Jacob's chest, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"That I do," Micah replied.

Ren saw him look over her shoulder at Jacob. He nodded and she felt Jacob's answering nod.

"I love you," Jacob whispered in her ear.

Smiling, she turned her head until their lips brushed. "I love you, too."

Still holding Anya's hand, Ren slowly let herself slip into a peaceful sleep.

 **The Next Day**

 **JPOV**

Standing outside just after dawn, the air was chilly, causing Jacob's breath to cloud out in front of him. He and Micah had just packed Micah's things into one of the vehicles that was being taken to the outer district. Now all that was left was to say goodbye.

Anya had been saying hers for the past ten minutes, just wrapped up in Micah's arms. She didn't want to let go, and it didn't seem like the other king did either.

The trip didn't seem like a big deal, but with people going missing seemingly without a trace and them not knowing all the cards on the table, Micah was in more danger than any of them really wanted to think about. Hence, all the enforcers going with him. Hopefully, he'd be back before the week was up with new information that could help them figure out what the hell was going on.

When Micah finally tried to pull back, pushing her by the shoulders, she clung to him.

"Anya, love," he said in her ear. "I'll be back. I promise."

She shook her head against his chest. "You can't make that promise, Micah. You don't know for a fact that you'll come back."

"She's right," Jack said from beside Jacob.

Over Anya's head, Micah shot him a glare.

"Nevertheless," Jacob said, "he has to go. Something isn't right. The packs need us here. You just in case your pack won't listen to me. Me because my pack is here in this district. Rhys picked Micah's guard himself. It's as safe as we can make it for him."

Micah's gaze moved to him and he nodded.

Jacob nodded back. Jack just shook his head and walked away. He didn't agree that he needed to stay behind.

Beside him, Ness was watching Anya with a sad expression. She took a deep breath before walking toward them. After a moment of whispering, Anya let Ness pull her back enough that Micah could kiss her. As they turned away, Ness kissed his cheek and told him to come back in one piece.

As soon as she was close enough, Jacob tucked Anya under his arm. She buried her face in his chest as Ness hugged her from the back.

"Take care of her?" Micah asked in a choked voice.

Jacob nodded. "You have my word. You should go so you can get there before dark."

Micah nodded but stayed in that spot, just staring at Anya. She kept her face buried in Jacob's chest, not seeing her mate's expression. When he realized that she wasn't going to look up anytime soon, Micah gave her one last look before climbing up into the SUV.

Anya cried harder when she heard the vehicles start up and pull away.

Jacob wrapped her up against his chest.

In the cold morning air, he and his queen comforted the female in his arms as her mate drove away from her.

* * *

 **So? How are we feeling? A lot of you are suspicious of Micah or don't like him. You don't like the thought of them sharing. So please tell me. I can't promise to change anything. This is how it's supposed to go and how I want it to go. However, I'm always open to constructive criticism. As always I love y'all so much! xoxoxo**


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